HYDERABAD: Transport and BC Welfare Minister Ponnam Prabhakar on Friday wrote to Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, urging immediate steps to conduct the long-pending elections to the Secunderabad Cantonment Board and to expedite the transfer of defence lands required for key public projects.
In his letter, Prabhakar pointed out that elections to the board had not been held for several years, depriving residents of democratic governance and local representation. “In the interest of smooth governance and development of Hyderabad district, it is essential that the elections be held at the earliest,” he said.
The minister welcomed the Centre’s decision to part with certain defence lands for public use but stressed the urgency of handing them over without delay. He said the land parcels were crucial for implementing infrastructure and mobility projects that would ease public inconvenience and boost the city’s development.
He also flagged nearly Rs 1,000 crore in pending dues under the user charges component from the Cantonment to the government of Telangana. Prabhakar noted that timely clearance of these dues would significantly aid the state in maintaining and upgrading infrastructure and services in overlapping civilian-defence areas.
Prabhakar further expressed confidence that the Ministry of Defence would consider the issues and stressed that resolving them is crucial for improving public welfare.
BRS, CONG men create ruckus at Ramleela
Karimnagar: Tension prevailed during the Ramleela event in Karimnagar on Thursday when Congress and BRS leaders entered into a verbal duel. The BRS leaders raised slogans against Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar and tried to prevent him from attending the Ramleela programme. At this stage, some Congress leaders entered the scene and raised slogans against former chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao and KT Rama Rao.
As the situation appeared tense, the police sent away the BRS leaders from the spot. A feud has been going on between the followers of BRS MLA Gangula Kamalakar Rao and Ponnam Prabhakar since the formation of Telangana. The minister and the Congress activists had left after the conclusion of the event.