The Telangana government has urged Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh for an early resolution of pending civic and governance issues relating to Hyderabad and Secunderabad cantonment areas.
A delegation consisting of Transport and BC Welfare Minister Ponnam Prabhakar, GHMC Mayor Gadwal Vijayalakshmi and Cantonment MLA Sriganesh handed over a representation to Mr. Rajnath Singh during his Hyderabad visit on Friday.
In the representation, Mr. Prabhakar expressed gratitude to the Ministry of Defence for sparing certain defence lands in Hyderabad for public purposes, calling it a “progressive step” that would help address critical infrastructure needs and improve civic amenities for residents. The minister highlighted that about ₹1,000 crore under the user charges component remains pending from the Secunderabad Cantonment to the government of Telangana. He said timely clearance of these dues would significantly aid the State in maintaining and upgrading public infrastructure and service delivery in overlapping jurisdictions.
While welcoming the Centre’s decision to part with certain defence lands for public use, Mr Prabhakar urged that the handover process be expedited. He noted that these parcels are crucial for implementing key infrastructure and mobility projects that are vital to the city’s development and convenience of the public.
Mr Prabhakar also flagged the delay in conducting elections to the Secunderabad Cantonment Board and requested that necessary steps be taken to restore democratic governance and ensure local representation in the area.
Published – October 03, 2025 08:53 pm IST
