HYDERABAD: Ruckus prevailed at a meeting of the Secunderabad Cantonment Board (SCB) following heated arguments between its CEO B. Ajith Reddy and vice-president J. Rama Krishna over several issues on Thursday. State Congress president and Malkajgiri Lok Sabha member A. Revanth Reddy and SCB president Brigadier K. Somashankar were present.
Revanth Reddy presented many issues and said that the local military authority should reopen the Ammaguda road. He said local drainage problems must be resolved on a priority, and urged Brig. Somashankar to grant funds for the construction of the roads.
On the Ammaguda issue, Ajith Reddy said, "There is a lot of defence land involved. We need to find out how to go about it."
Rama Krishna demanded that the 10-acre land located near Medchal highway that is valued at Rs 500 crore, allotted to the Congress in 2008, must be given back to the state government.
“The state government had exchanged it and the central government was compensated. The allotment letter was a time-bound conditional allotment,” said Rama Krishna.
He added that there were three major conditions. One was the purpose for which the land should be utilised. The second was that it had a year’s validity for starting construction work. Third was if the allottee intended to make physical changes to the land, it was mandatory to obtain an NOC from the Hyderabad collector.
“The Congress failed to submit details. It is very unfortunate that Ajith Reddy is acting in a biased manner by trying to push the permission. If this persists, we would refer the case to the CBI” said Rama Krishna. Ajith Reddy said “We have asked the state government about their stand.”
New rules were being framed and one that is likely to come into effect on November 1 would be on levying hefty fines from those putting up illegal banners in unauthorised areas.
Ajith Reddy said that banners put up more than 15 feet from the ground level will have to pay Rs 1 lakh fine per day. Wall writings will be fined Rs 1,000 per day while it will be Rs 2,000 for posters put on unauthorized places.
"We have flexible building laws. But from now on, if any illegal constructions are found they will be straightaway demolished. Those already living in illegal lands have been given an evacuation notice," he said.
On closure of gates by colony residents, he said that they are permitted to close gates as per their whims and fancies.
On the proposed SCB and GHMC merger, he said that there has been no headway. “I think that the state government is taking up development activities through the MLA funds but they should also take up development pro-actively in the cantonment areas so that we can see more progress in the SCB," said Ajith Reddy.
