6 closed roads under Secunderabad Cantonment Board, not Army

Hyderabad: Secunderabad residents fighting the Local Military Authority on the closure of roads in the Andhra Sub Area have much to cheer about. An RTI reply from the Defence Estate Office has revealed that six roads out of 12 that have been shut in the Golf Course area belong to the Secunderabad Cantonment Board and not the LMA.

The Defence Estate Office and CEO Secunderabad Cantonment had claimed in a court that these roads belong to the LMA and are A1 defence roads which they are authorised to close down. But its own office — in the RTI reply — has revealed that six roads belong to the Cantonment.

 E Rajeshesam, a resident of Alwal who filed the RTI, said, “The CEO, SCB, in paragraphs 6 and 7 of the affidavit filed before the High Court in the 2014 cases, stated that all roads are classified as A1 defence land and are under the management and control of the LMA. Out of the eight roads closed in the Golf Course area, six are shown to be Cantonment Fund Roads (GLR Survey no 779) on Class C land under the management of the Cantonment Board.

Over dozen roads shut: Residents
“The Hyderabad High Court, heard affidavits filed by these senior officers and the road closure followed. Six roads closed by LMA 24x7 are now conclusively shown to be not military roads on A1 land, but Cantonment Fund Roads.”

Chandra Shekar of OSCAR (Open Secunderabad Cantonment All Roads), added, “Elected members of the SCB Board have been prevented from raising the matter of reopening these closed roads, under Section 258 of the Cantonments Act, 2006 in several board meetings. Over a dozen roads have been already closed by LMA, including several that are now demonstrated to be Cantonment Fund Roads on Class C land and the Cantonment Board is the holder of Occupancy Rights. The LMA has no jurisdiction on Cantonment Fund Roads.”

When contacted, a source in the Local Military Authority, said, “There is no communication between the LMA and the Defence Estate Office (DEO). We don’t know what information has been issued from the DEO office.”

Malla Reddy, MP, who has taken up the matter with the Ministry of Defence, was unavailable for comment. Meanwhile, Ward 5 member J. Rama Krishna said the six roads falling under the Cantonment will be reopened. The CEO SCB S. V. R. Chandra Sekhar was unavailable for the comment.

Roads caught between SCB & army
All roads under survey number 779 fall under the SCB. Those tagged under survey number 778 come under the Army’s control.

The roads below come under the SCB and are not under Army control
Cariappa road — From Bison Diwar to the junction with Rajiv Rahadari near St. Joseph’s church, Bolarum via the east wall of Rashtrapati Nilayam and Bison chowk/Synergy plaza near Holy Trinity.
Barr road — (A) From Cantonment phone exchange to Bison chowk/Synergy Plaza via Holy Trinity church (Survey no - 779). Also, the road from the BEPTA golf course to Ayappa Swamy temple at Lakdawala Junction on Rajiv Rahadari (now walled up), These are also under Survey No. 779.
Surender Marg - (A) From Sundial park near Navy House circle to Eagle Chowk via Batticaloa and rear gate of RSI club - (Survey No. 779 (B) Road from Commandant’s residence near RSI club meeting Carriappa road between Rashtrapati Nilayam gate no 3 and Bison Diwar (Survey no. 779)
Flagstaff road - From the junction with Cariappa road to Ammuguda Bazaar via Flagstaff house, RSI circle and Batticaloa canteen circle. (Survey nos - 778, 779)

List of roads closed by the Army at SCB. This includes roads which do not fall under the military authorities.

• Gen Krishna Rao Marg
• Barr road, from phone exchange to Rajiv Rahadari.
• Balaji Nagar-Golf Course-Lakdawala Junction. Access has been shut from Rajiv Rahadari to Tarnaka Keesara Road.
• Carriappa Road, from Holy Trinity Church to Bison Diwar.
• Flagstaff Road from Carriappa Road to Ammuguda
• Piru Singh Marg from Valerian Grammar School to Flagstaff Road.