Residents to stage dharnas & relay hunger strikes

Resident associations in Secunderabad have decided to up the ante against the proposed closure of roads by the Army in the Secunderabad Cantonment Board (SCB) limits.

In a meeting organised by United Federation of Residents Welfare Associations (UFERWAS) on Friday it was decided that a series of dharnas and relay hunger strikes will be staged outside the offices of Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) and SCB, and Indira Park.

The Army had recently started construction of pillars for erecting gates to prevent entry at Allahabad Gate from October 1.BT Srinivasan, general secretary, UFERWAS, explained, “There are approximately 25 lakh citizens who use the roads of which 50 per cent will be affected directly and the rest indirectly.

There is an urgent need for active participation by the citizens in large numbers in the dharnas and relay hunger strikes to draw attention of the Telangana government to provide alternative roads on a priority basis.”

“Of the 62 cantonments in India, similar issues had cropped up in 19 cantonments. If the Ministry of Defence can sort out issues in nine cantonments, then why not Secunderabad Cantonment which is the largest in India?” he added.

Anti corruption activist Chandrasekhar representing Greenfields Association noted, “The HMDA had submitted a masterplan for the city in 2011 for widening the roads. The Army didn’t object for the plan then. Why are they doing it now?”