Gough Road in Secunderabad to be closed down from June 1

The Gough Road in the Secunderabad Cantonment Area will be closed for the public from June 1, the Local Military Authority informed in a press statement here on Saturday.

Reacting to reports in sections of the media on the issue, the LMA said the reports were misleading and that the Army would like to clarify that no roads of AOC Centre, other than Gough Road, were intended to be closed with effect from June 1.

The LMA said that as per the order of the High Court of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, the AOC roads, of which Gough Road is a part, were internal military roads and their control rested with the LMA. The administration, training and security of AOC Centre were being adversely affected due to Gough Road being used as a thoroughfare since long.

“Accordingly, Army has carried out the implementation of traffic restrictions on some roads in a phased manner so that there is least inconvenience to the general public,” it said.The LMA also said that emergency vehicles such as ambulances, fire brigades and school buses would be permitted to pass through Gough Road at all times. 

Restrictions for use of the roads at night will continue except for emergency vehicles. It also clarified



that the construction of an alternative road was being actively pursued by the Army authorities with the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation.

“The willingness on the part of Defence authorities to objectively examine and render assistance as required in developing alternative roads along the periphery of AOC Centre towards Mahendra Hills has also been communicated to authorities concerned,” it said.

On the other hand, Malkajgiri MP Ch. Malla Reddy, said Gough Road would be open for the locals and that there would not be any restrictions on the road till alternatives roads were built. Malla Reddy said the LMA has agreed to give 100 acres of land in Secunderabad Cantonment area for land and roads in exchange of which the State government would give 500 acres of land in Vikarabad.

Meanwhile, SVR Chandra Sekhar, CEO, Secunderabad Cantonment Board, said the Board was not aware of any extension of the deadline for closure of the road and said that since there were no such directions from the Defence Ministry, the Army proposed to close the road and that is what the army has notified by installing signboards. It was the LMA that was closing the road and not the Cantonment Board, he said.