Voice against closure of roads in Secunderabad Cantonment Board gets shriller

Secunderabad: The 21 civilian roads in the Secunderabad Cantonment Board (SCB) are still closed and civilians are struggling to use them. Residents of the North Eastern Colonies, here, have taken up social media campaign called 'satyagraha', to get the closed roads opened. It entered 160th day on Sunday. It was supposed to end on the Independence Day, but they said it would continue till the Parliamentary Standing Committee of Defence visits and reviews the situation.

Many residents of the colonies raised their voice against the closure and tagged the Union Defence Minister, Director-General of Defence Estates (DGDE), Defence Secretary, SCB, Telangana MA&UD minister and principal secretary, urging re-0pening of the roads closed by the Local Military Authority (LMA) in violation of MoD order.

"This campaign highlights our struggle. It will be continued till the Parliamentary Standing Committee visits and directly hears the citizens and elected representatives. Only then the facts regarding road closure and other issues will emerge. We request that during its tour of Secunderabad the committee hears FNECS and other resident welfare associations, affected by the road closure, facts and resolves the issue as soon as possible," said Chandar Shekar, secretary, Federation of North Eastern Colonies.

Said A Suresh Reddy, a resident of the colonies," for the past many years residents of the colonies are struggling to ply form Secunderabad roads. In an attempt to raise their voice against official apathy, we have taken the support of social media platforms. We need the intervention of the Central and State governments on re-opening of the roads. Civilians are reduced to the state of requesting to get back their access of public roads which are illegally closed in the Golf Course area."