With the expansion of city limits over the years, the colonies abutting AOC Centre has come within the Greater Hyderabad region and the defence personnel should understand it. Instead of blocking roads for their convenience, the Army authorities should consider shifting their base to some other place outside the city, Union minister and Malkajgiri MP Sarve Satyanarayana has said.
The joint action committee comprising members from resident welfare associations of different colonies in the Malkajgiri constituency met the minister here on Thursday and voiced the public outcry over road closure and the inconvenience in taking circuitous routes to reach their destinations.
Speaking to Express, the minister said he would meet the defence minister and officials in two days and apprise them of the issue to resolve the matter amicably.
“I am aware of the residents’ protests due to hardships caused by the Army restrictions. I will meet defence minister AK Antony and minister of state Jitender Singh in the next two days. If necessary, I will take up the issue with the prime minister,” he assured the delegation.
He said there were Supreme Court guidelines that Army personnel should not block thoroughfares being used by the public. “I will fight for revocation of Army’s curbs on traffic near Bolarum and Yapral,” he said.
The three road under-bridges planned at Safilguda, Uttam Nagar and Vajpayee Nagar would be of no use to the public if the Army closed the roads, he said.
Even as the residents of Safilguda and adjoining colonies are staging demonstrations against Army’s decision to block the vehicular traffic almost everyday, Secunderabad Cantonment Board officials remain non-committal on the issue.
The JAC of Malkajgiri resident welfare associations said that they would stage a demonstration at the Secunderabad Club on Sunday by blocking vehicular traffic on the Karimnagar highway for two hours if the issue is not resolved by then.