In a setback to the residents in the Secunderabad Cantonment, the Ministry of Defence in Rajya Sabha clarified that the Gough road in Army Ordnance Corps (AOC) military area will remain open only till May 31.
The Ministry of State for Defence Subash Bhamre in reply to a question by the Congress Rajya Sabha member Mohammad Ali Khan who asked whether the government has decided to close the Gough road, said that Gough road was initially closed in December 2015 on security grounds, but however upon the instructions of the chief minister, they extended the deadline till May 2016, reported The Times of India.
However, the MoSD didn’t give a clear reply to the question whether it will close down the road after May 31.
Speaking to TOI, Mohammad Ali Khan said, “The defence minister did not mention in the reply regarding the closure of Gough road from June 1. I will take up the issue if the residential welfare associations submit their representation to me”.
Based on the reply from the MoS for Defence, it only meant that there will be no further extension to the deadline.
It was earlier decided by the Local Military Authorities that the road will be open for civilian traffic only till May, until the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation develops an alternate road to accommodate the residents in Secunderabad Cantonment area.
Although the North Eastern Colonies of Secunderabad, who are fighting to keep the roads open appreciated the MP for raising the question in the Parliament, they complained that he couldn’t detail the plight of the residents who regularly use these roads.
They felt that the MP failed to explain the concerns of the residents, if the roads were closed.
The closure of roads will affect hundreds of residents who live abutting the AOC like Marredpally, Neredmet, East Anandbagh, Yapral, Sainikpuri, Safilguda, Moula Ali, Ammuguda, Gandhi Nagar among several others.