50 families hit as LMA shuts last entry point to 108 Bazar in Secunderabad Cantonment

SECUNDERABAD: Mild tension prevailed at 108 Bazar, Kakaguda, in Secunderabad Cantonment on Saturday morning after Army jawans barricaded the fourth (last) entry/exit point with metal sheets.

As a result, nearly 50 families, who have been staying in the area for over five decades, have to take a detour of at least two kilometres to access Karkhana-Trimulgherry stretch of the arterial Rajiv Rahadari.Three other exit points were shut in 2020.
“Senior citizens, women and children will face hardship during nighttime due to the restrictions imposed by the Army,” local resident T Sudhakar told TOI. “We have been using this entry (and three closed ones) point for the past five decades, but now it has been closed for security reasons,” he added.
This is the second instance that the Army has put restrictions on civilians in the area in the past two years. In 2020, three entry points were shut and Malkajgiri Lok Sabha MP A Revanth Reddy had also visited the area when a protest was held, P Kumar, another resident of the locality, said.
The 108 Bazar is divided into Pocket-I, II and III and people have been residing on the premises of defence units. Army personnel have been allowing these families through the main entrance and had shut three entry/exit points to these residential areas citing ‘security’ reasons.
On Saturday, the Army jawans, after closing the fourth entry point around 6.30 am, asked locals to use the main entrance. Angry locals staged a protest against the Army’s decision and urged Secunderabad Cantonment MLA G Sayanna to resolve their issue. Learning about their protest, Karkhana police reached the spot and pacified the protesters. Later, MLA Sayanna visited the locality and spoke with local army authorities (LMA).
The Army informed the MLA that there was no staff to man the entry points and it was decided to barricade them, T Satish Gupta, social worker, said.
The MLA assured the locals that he would take up the issue with SCB chief executive officer B Ajith Reddy soon. Army personnel also informed the locals that they would issue passes to access the main entrance. However, locals opposed the move, stating that they have been staying in the area for the past five decades.