Hyderabad: Telangana Municipal Administration Minister K T Rama Rao on Thursday accused the BJP-led NDA government of adopting an unhelpful attitude towards the State government in taking up the strategic road development programme (SRDP) works in defence lands at Secunderabad here.
Replying to a query during Question Hour in the Legislative Assembly on addressing traffic problems from Secunderabad to Bowenpally and others in the city if the defence authorities don’t give permission to carry out SRDP works in defence lands, he alleged that the Centre is not ready to cooperate though the State government has been pursuing with the Centre since the last eight-and-a-half years to address the defence land issues for building flyovers to address traffic problems.
“Though the government is in favour of building a skyway from Patny to Suchitra, similar to the P V Narasimha Rao Expressway (in the city), we have tried in Delhi several times, unfortunately, the Central government is not coming forward to cooperate. This is painful and also shameful,” he said.
Though the State government had raised the matter with successive defence ministers during the last eight or so years, including Arun Jaitely, Manohar Parrikar, Sushma Swaraj, Nirmala Sitharaman and the incumbent (Rajnath Singh), they were not ready to help and give the lands, he alleged.
Observing that the defence lands in the city have not been alienated to the defence authorities, Rama Rao said the State government can legally put up a fight if it wants. But, the State government would not as it treats the military with respect as they defend the nation, he said, adding that the State government would continue to pursue the matter.
Rama Rao said 48 works have been taken up in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) limits under the Strategic Road Development Programme (SRDP).
The 48 works have been undertaken by the GHMC (42 works), Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (one work), Roads and Buildings, NH, and others (five works), he said.
He said 34 works have been completed and 14 in different stages of progress.
