Golf Course: No alternative road by army sparks anger

SECUNDERABAD: The Army may have given its nod on alternate roads between Safilguda Railway Gate and Entrenchment Road in Secunderabad Cantonment, but residents are clearly not happy .“The LMASCB gave clearance to an alternative road, but ignored the plight of residents in other areas,“ said Open Secunderabad Cantonment All Roads (OSCAR) representative S Chandrasekhar. OSCAR is protesting against absence of a plan for alternative routes for four closed roads in Golf Course area, he said.
OSCAR is a community of Secunderabad residents, who are pursuing reopening of several roads in the Cantonment, which have been arbitrarily shut by military authorities without legal sanction or adherence to Cantonment Act, 2006.
Chandrasekhar said the Army talks about alternative routes for five roads in the AOC circle, but is silent on four shut stretches in Golf Course area. “Any plan to develop alternative roads, must apply to all nine roads mentioned in a recent High Court order,“ he said. “It is necessary for civic ad ministration to rise to the occasion and take urgent measures so that commuters are not put to inconvenience. The GHMC and Hyderabad District Collector shall file a report in the court on steps taken within two months from date of receipt of copy of judgment,“ the high court had said in September 2014.
No alternative plan for the Golf Course area is a violation of the High Court order as this stops access to areas like Bol larum, Alwal and Rajiv Rahadari to the west and Yapral, Balaji Nagar, High Tension Road and Sainikpuri to the east.
Over three lakh residents of northern colonies are being forced to take 8km detours between areas to the east and west of Golf Course because of closure of roads in the area.
In February 2014, Army announced closure of many roads used by lakhs of people traversing through defence areas in Secunderabad Cantonment.
Initially, civilian vehicles were not allowed on five roads between 10 pm and 8 am. The Army also wanted to ban private vehicles on these stretches from March 10. But, due to a public outcry and litigation, they had to defer plans.