KTR appeals to Rajnath Singh to restrain LMA of Secunderabad Cantonmnet Board from closing the AOC roads

MAUD Minister K T Rama Rao on Thursday appealed to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to restrain Local Military Authority (LMA) of Secunderabad Cantonment Board (SCB) from closing the AOC roads.

In a letter to the Union Minister, he said LMA was unilaterally and arbitrarily taking decisions to close public roads without following the due process as provided under Section 258 of Cantonment Act 2006.

The Minister had written a series of letters to the Union Defence Ministry earlier seeking their intervention in resolving the long-pending issue.

Rama Rao stated that closure of AOC roads by LMA was affecting millions of citizens daily, especially those residing in North and North-Eastern parts of Hyderabad City. “In an arbitrary and unauthorized manner, the LMA frequently resorts to closure of roads, resulting in untold misery to large sections of people as they have to take detours to commute daily,” the Minister said.

He further informed that in July 2020, LMA had shut down four important roads – Allahabad Gate, Gough Road, Wellington Road, and Ordinance Road, citing a surge in Covid cases. It was distressing to note that these roads were closed frequently for reasons bordering on frivolity, the Minister said.

“The State has taken up all the required measures to contain Covid cases and had imposed lockdown in May and June. Following the decline in cases, the lockdown was eased. Surprisingly, roads are now closed for aforesaid reasons,” Rama Rao



said.

“As per rules, no public roads can be closed by LMA or any Authority other than a Cantonment Board (SCB in this case) and without following the procedures laid down under Section 258 of the Cantonment Act 2006, The LMA often takes shelter under an order of High Court of AP dated September 26, 2014,” the Minister pointed out.

Rama Rao also pointed out that Ministry of Defence in September 2018 had reviewed the issue of closure of roads and superseded all the orders.

It had further insisted on absolute necessity to follow the procedures prescribed under Section 258 of the Cantonment Act, 2006, and directed that no public road in the Cantonment would be closed by LMA or Cantonment Board without following the due process, he informed.

Regarding the High Court order issued in September 2014, he said the State Government had requested the Defence Ministry to hand over 42.202 acres of land duly waiving the cost of land for transfer, the license fee for elevated portion and also a waiver of property compensations.

“The same matter was discussed during the video conference convened by the Ministry of Defence Secretary on April 20 this year and it was agreed upon by the Central Government. We are awaiting instructions in this regard,” the Minister said.

By blatantly defying all SOPs, guidelines and instructions of Ministry of Defence, the continued closure of roads by LMA was regretful and disappointing, Rama Rao said.