Taking the confrontation with the Narendra Modi government at the Centre to the next level, the Telangana state government on Saturday threatened to disconnect water and power supply to defence areas in Secunderabad cantonment.
This warning was given by state information and technology minister K T Rama Rao in the state assembly on Saturday.
He warned that if the local military authority continued to block roads and stop developmental works causing inconvenience to the civilians, his government would cut water and power supply to the cantonment area.
Announcing this during question hour in the assembly, the minister said instructions would be issued to Special Chief Secretary to hold a meeting and take up such issues with LMA and initiate stringent measures, if they do not mend their ways.
He said residents were being subjected to lot of inconvenience by LMA due to blocking of roads in Secunderabad Cantonment limits. In addition to these problems, check dams are constructed obstructing flow of water in the nalas.
“The defence authorities had constructed a check dam in Langar Houz, where the Balkapur nala flows into the Hussainsagar, and this structure was posing a threat to Shahtham Tank. As a means to ensure free flow of water from Shahtham tank near Golconda Fort downstream, a few works were planned but the Archeological Survey of India denied permissions, citing different reasons,” he explained.
The minister reminded that even after 18 months not a single paisa was released as compensation after the floods in October 2020 in the city.
“A team of Central Government officials and elected public representatives had visited the city and inspected different areas, which were affected due to floods but there was no announcement yet, he said.
The Centre does not give any financial assistance and in addition hurdles were created in execution of different development works. Telangana was being discriminated and treated as if it was not part of India, he said.
Considering all these issues and the problems faced by residents due to the LMA actions, the State Government would be forced to take action accordingly, he said, adding “Power and water supply would be cut to defence areas in Cantonment limits in the city,”
When TRS MLA K Venkatesh asked about the Centre’s contribution in the Strategic Nala Development Programme being taken up in the city, the Minister replied that there was zero contribution.
When financial assistance was sought from Central Government for execution of SNDP phase II works, the State Government was asked to include the works under Amrut phase II works, the Minister said.
Amrut funds were allocated to cities, which have one lakh population but Hyderabad has a population of over one crore. Further, the funds allocated would under this programme would not be sufficient to execute the proposed works, he pointed out.