Residents Express Concern Over SCB-GHMC Merger

Hyderabad: Amid the celebrations of the Secunderabad Cantonment Board (SCB) residents on the merger with the GHMC lurks a new fear: That of road and building restrictions near military stations.

“Our celebrations have not lasted long, we now fear the strict restrictions that will come up due to military stations. We have already faced commuting woes earlier,” said B.T. Srinivasan, general secretary, United Federation of Resident Welfare Associations (Uferwas).

Major Shiva Kiran (retired) also from the Uferwas, said that a co-ordination group should be in place to monitor the needs of people in the areas which are close to military stations.

“It cannot be denied that, civilians underplay the security concerns of military stations. If an officer or a jawan is deployed in a metro city instead of India's border, it does not mean that he is in a non-serious role. Exclusive committee monitoring the areas near stations will address the concerns of citizens,” he said.

As per norms, if commercial or residential structures are near a firing range and the property owners want to build more than one floor, they need to take permission from the local military authority (LMA) in addition to the urban local body (ULB).

A resident from SCB also said that, there should not be any additional restrictions on height of the structures near the stations and only the rules mentioned in the municipal act should apply for the buildings.