After several protests by residents of Secunderabad to keep the arterial Gough Road open, the Local Military Authorities (LMA) has reportedly received internal instructions from the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to keep the road open to civilians.
Quoting sources, Deccan Chronicle reported that the LMA had been given oral instructions on extending the closure by another six months.
An official statement is expected on Wednesday.
The Times of India reported that Malkajgiri MP Malla Reddy and Telangana state official representative S Venugopalachary met Union minister of state for defence Subhash Bhamre and other officials in Delhi, and submitted a representation.
“We explained to the minister and authorities how crucial is Gough Road for lakhs of residents in the Malkajgiri parliamentary constituency and how people would be inconvenienced if it is closed," TOI quoted an official release by Malla Reddy on Tuesday, as saying.
The Local Military Authority (LMA) had sought the closure of the Gough Road from June 1 this year stating that the, "administration, training and security of AOC Centre are being adversely affected due to this road being used as a thoroughfare."
The issue has been contentious, ever since the proposal in February 2014, and the deadline for the closure has been extended several times over the past three years, after representations were made to the Centre.
The Gough Road is used by more than 1 lakh residents everyday, and connects various parts of Secunderabad with Hyderabad.
Several citizens also took to the streets on Tuesday, when the fate of the road was still uncertain.
Activists hung up a massive poster, right outside the entrance of the AOC centre, that leads to Gough Road, for a signature campaign.
Commuters who were passing through, were asked to sign on the poster to lend their support to the cause.
The organisers of the protest claimed that they received more than 1,500 signatures in just one hour.
Meanwhile, the state government has been promising to build alternate roads, but the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), is yet to begin work.
The municipal body submitted a Detailed Project Report (DPR) and sought Rs 115 crore, to lay alternate roads last week.