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The Army's move to curtail civilian vehicles on certain stretches came in for severe criticism from elected ward members at the Secunderabad Cantonment Board (SCB) meeting on Wednesday. Though the issue was not on the agenda, the elected members raised it as the curbs would affect lakhs of citizens.

The Army has imposed traffic curbs on civilian vehicles moving from SP Road/East Marredpally towards Allahabad Gate (Entrenchment Road), Secunderabad Club, Picket/West Marredpally towards Wellington Enclave (Wellington road), Safilguda junction towards Safilguda railway crossing (Ordnance Road) and Mornington Road. The curbs on civilian vehicles would be from 10 pm to 7.30 am.

Former vice-president J Pratap (Division-III) and P Venkat Rao (Division-IV) raised the issue at Wednesday's meeting and said the Army's decision was wrong as it was implemented without consulting either the elected ward members or the residential welfare associations. Protesting against the blockade, Pratap went to the Board meeting wearing a black badge and showed photographs of three areas where roads was laid using the Cantonment Board's funds.

"The Cantonment Board has spent lakhs of rupees to lay roads for civilians, but the Army has imposed ban on traffic movement. As a result, lakhs of civilians who have been using these roads for over four decades are now facing inconvenience," Pratap said. Another ward member, P Venkat Rao, expressed his anguish over the Army's attitude and asked them to defer the ban till the SCB and locals take a decision on it. Secunderabad Cantonment MLA P Shankar Rao also opposed the Army's decision and asked the authorities to conduct a joint meeting with the Cantonment officials, elected representatives and resident welfare associations.

Responding to the demand, president cantonment board (PCB), Brig Sunil S Bodhe, said, "It is not blockade; we are only regulating civilian traffic. The Army will allow ambulances, school buses and city buses on the notified stretches." He added: "I met the principal secretary, municipal administration & urban development (MA&UD) department, asking them to take up flyovers and discussed with the roads & buildings (R&B) department to take up widening of various roads in the Cantonment area." Pratap, who was not satisfied with the PCB's explanation, staged a walk out from the meeting. Later, former Secunderabad Cantonment MLA G Sayannna met the PCB and requested him to reopen the stretches.

Union minister of state for roads, transport and highways, Sarve Satyanarayana, however, did not attend the Board meeting as he was out of station. "I will take the Army's blockade issue to the notice of defence minister A K Antony and sort out the issue. I will also urge the defence minister and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to move all defence establishments from the Secunderabad Cantonment area," he told TOI over the phone from Sholapur.

Meanwhile, a resolution regarding inviting of tenders for door-to-door collection of garbage, the cost of which would be recovered from residents as part of property tax, was passed unanimously. "For this, the entire cantonment area has been divided into five zones. A penalty of Rs.5,000 will be imposed if anybody litters the roads," SCB chief executive officer Sujatha Gupta said.

Another resolution regarding appointment of an officer to initiate departmental inquiry against supervisory officials - assistant executive engineers - of the engineering branch as recommended by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) was also passed at the Board meeting. "We have passed the relevant resolution and send it to the principal director, Southern Command, Pune to appoint an inquiry officer," PCB Sunil Bodhe told the media. A resolution on issuing trade licences to 25 traders (as recommended by health department) to run their business was also cleared by the Board.

Source-On Request