Centre hindering city’s development, says KTR

Municipal administration and urban development minister K.T. Rama Rao on Saturday alleged that the Centre had been creating hurdles in development activities in the Secunderabad Cantonment Board (SCB) area by resorting to politics since the formation of Telangana state. Despite repeatedly urging for cooperation with the welfare activities, the Centre had been resorting to politics, he added.

The minister, along with animal husbandry minister T. Srinivas Yadav, Cantonment MLA G.

Sayanna, mayor G. Vijayalakshmi, deputy mayor Srilatha Shobhan Reddy and GHMC commissioner D.S. Lokesh Kumar, laid foundation stones for several nala development works with an estimated cost of `61 crore at Sanathnagar, Cantonment and Kukatpally constituencies.

He said the state government extended free drinking water scheme to the cantonment residents, despite lack of the Centre’s support. “The Centre is not coming forward to exchange the defence lands for housing plots that would benefit 20,000 people. Land for construction of skyways is not being given, leading to inconvenience to the public. There has not been any support in the issue of road extensions,” Rama Rao said.

As part of the projects under Strategic Nala Development Plan (SNDP) worth a total of `858 crore, the minister laid foundation stone for the modernisation works at the Picket nala near Rasoolpura Junction worth `10 crore and for the Kukatpally nala works from Begumpet to Hussainsagar.

Also, foundation stone was laid for a multi-purpose function hall in Patigadda with an estimated cost of `5.90 crore.