Locals protest against Army ‘harassment’ in cantonment area

HYDERABAD: Angry locals from Nandamurinagar (behind Colours Dhaba near Bowenpally checkpost ) in Secunderabad Cantonment on Saturday gheraoed deputy general officer-in commanding (GOC), HQ Telangana and Andhra Sub-Area and president cantonment board (PCB), Brig A S Negi, and staged a protest against Army personnel harassing them. They claimed that they were sent notices asking them to stop construction work within 500 metres of defence establishments.
At 2.30 pm, nearly 150 locals from Nandamurinagar, which falls under Ward No-VI, reached the SCB office and staged a protest before the headquarters. As the PCB was getting into his vehicle, the agitators gheraoed him and explained that they were getting notices to get no objection certificate (NoC) for the properties constructed nearly three decades ago.
Responding to the protest, Brig AS Negi gave an assurance that instructions would be given to officers concerned not to visit Nandamurinagar as the GO was not applicable to the locality.
Earlier, the Board passed a resolution on allotting lease rights for octroi and toll tax contracts to the highest bidders for 2015-16. Laxmi Motors, which quoted Rs 6.20 crore, won the contract to collect octroi, while Morgan Enterprises, which quoted Rs 8.56 crore, bagged the contract to collect toll tax in the Secunderabad Cantonment. Last year, the successful bidders had quoted Rs 7.5 crore to collect toll tax and Rs 3.7 crore to collect octroi.