Plea to extend GHMC control over Cantonment

Secunderabad: All the civic and administrative works are proceeding at a snail's pace in Secunderabad Cantonment Board (SCB). The residents of the Cantonment ward 5 initiated a massive door-to-door signature campaign on May 31.

1. Drinking water shortage a major factor for growing demand
2. Garbage disposal is another issue residents are peeved over
3. Building plan approvals taking a long time; even fee is higher

Till date, 1,600 signatures are collected, and the target is to collect 5,000 signatures. A written petition has been raised and after the completion of the campaign, the written petition with signatures of the residents would be forwarded to both Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

Drinking water is being supplied only once a week in the SCB ward 5, consisting of 42 residential colonies and 18 Basthi and with an approximate of 25,000 people living in the ward. The residents of ward 5 are undergoing innumerable difficulties due to lack of drinking water and the water tankers do not reach in time.

Also, the maximum number of public bore wells have dried up and water issue has increased. Vexed with these issues, a signature campaign was initiated, says T Satish Gupta, president of Vasavi Nagar Welfare Association.

Gupta said that earlier, the monthly water charges was Rs 315 and at present Cantonment is charging Rs 450 per month in colonies, and Rs 240-450 in Basthis and weaker section area. Despite the increase in the monthly charges, the drinking water is not being supplied properly.

Whereas, the GHMC is charging only Rs 240 per month in colonies and Rs 100 to 162 in Basthis and weaker section areas, and also the water is being supplied every alternate day.

Another issue is garbage. It is not cleared by SCB in areas, such as West Marredpally, Vasavi Nagar and many more areas in SCB. At the time technology is gaining pace in the city, SCB is still following the old techniques. The board still continues with the practice of manual submission of applications for building permission, which has to be later approved at the board meeting.

There is allegedly no fixed time frame for clearing these applications, and it usually ends up taking four to six months. GHMC's building plan approval is so simple that they clear the application soon after scrutiny, with just 6% registration fee. SCB takes much more time. After the application is kept before the board, the elected members have to pass a resolution. The plan is then finally approved with 9.5% registration fee.

During the election campaign, Working President for TRS K Taraka Rama Rao (KTR) promised that by tapping the Godavari and Krishna River waters drinking water needs in SCB could be met, but no action is taken yet, said a resident.

Roads, health, and sanitation are in a deplorable state. Even the board meetings are not held regularly. GHMC has citizen charter, whereas SCB has no such citizen charter. The state government should pass a bill in the Assembly, and merge the Cantonment's civilian area with GHMC. The Act should be forwarded to the center for its approval, says Gupta.