GHMC gets even with Army

Hyderabad: The GHMC is delaying giving road digging permission to the Army to lay an exclusive phone network to connect defence establishments in Bolaram, Panjagutta and the Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL) at Santoshnagar.

Sources said that the GHMC was not giving the clearances because defence officials did not co-operate when the GHMC wanted land for road widening and infrastructure projects. The phone lines are to be laid by the BSNL on behalf of the defence sector.

According to highly placed sources in the GHMC, defence officials had sought permission to dig 56 km of roads to lay cables for their hotline. They paid for road-cutting two years ago. The corporation has been delaying permission to the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited, the executing body to lay the cables, citing different reasons, including a ban on digging during the monsoon, Assembly elections and now, defect liability for new roads.

Sources said that the corporation had received instructions from higher authorities to delay permission since the Army did not co-operate in giving defence land at Mehdipatnam, Bolarum, Owaisi Junction at Banjara Hills Road No 12, where a small chunk of land is needed to take up developmental activities in public interest.

A senior GHMC official said that the corporation had several bitter experiences with Army officials, who, while not extending co-operation of any sort, were demanding heavy compensation, besides land in exchange for defence land. He said Army officials were reluctant to give 150 square yards near Owaisi Junction for road-widening and did not agree to remove a kaman on Banjara Hills Road No 12 which was causing a major traffic bottleneck. He said Army officials demanded land-for-land at Mehdipatnam to construct a skyway at Nanalnagar, besides heavy compensation.

The GHMC official said that the corporation would take a decision only after the Lok Sabha polls with regarding to road permission. He said that a final call will be taken by the state government. The official said that as of now, it can not accord permission for newly-laid roads due to defect liability clause, where any of the nodal agencies are not supposed to dig for a minimum period of two years.