Hyderabad: Talks on Monday over fate of Gough Road

Hyderabad: The state government has written to the Union defence ministry urging it to extend the deadline for the closure of the Gough Road, the main link between the city and the northeastern parts, by a few more months. There has been no communication from the Centre.

According to government sources, officials of the GHMC engineering wing and the Local Military Authority (LMA) are likely to hold a meeting on Monday to discuss the issue.

The government and the Army have agreed upon building two alternative roads — Safilguda railway gate to Allahabad Gate (East Marredpally) and Ramakrishnapuram to Safilguda — to bypass the roads in the Secunderabad Cantonment area.

The government needs to acquire 34 acres of defence land including a minor portion from the railways at the RK Puram railway signal point to construct alternative roads.

GHMC Commissioner B. Janardhan Reddy said that they were hoping for a positive response from New Delhi to their request to put off the road closure by a few more months. He said the civic body would build the alternative roads once the land exchange agreement was made.

“The Army establishment has been insisting on “equivalent” amount of land (based on land value given). For nearly 30 acres of land being acquired, we offered the same extent of land at Shamirpet. They want 300 acres, citing higher value of their land. Hopefully both parties will arrive at a solution,” said an official.

Malkajgiri MP Ch. Malla Reddy said that he had taken up the matter with minister K.T. Rama Rao. If need be, a state delegation would discuss the issue with the Centre.

BJP MLC N. Ramachander Rao said TS party unit president Dr K. Laxman and he would seek an appointment with defence minister Nirmala Sithraman to apprise her about the issue.

Mr B.T. Srinivasan of United Federation of Resident Welfare Associations appealed to the Army not to close roads until the new roads are built.