Date:11/05/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/05/11/stories/2008051159350500.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

SCB polls: candidates rain promises

Staff Reporter

Drinking water, battered road repairs and drainage facilities top agenda

18 candidates contesting from ward no.2
Ward no. 4 comprises 20,000 houses

— PHOTO: ABHIJIT DEV KUMAR

State-of-affairs: Desilting of nalas is a perennial problem at Secunderabad Cantonment and the nala at Laxminagar is a perfect example.

HYDERABAD: With a week left for the Secunderabad Cantonment Board (SCB) elections, it is raining promises for the electorate.

Development of basic infrastructure topped the list of candidates’ manifestos during the 2006 elections and this year is no exception. Irrespective of wards, candidates are emphasising on improvement of drinking water supply, better drainage facilities and proper roads for wooing voters.

While battered roads at Rasoolpura, Anna Nagar and Arjun Nagar topped the canvassing agenda of few candidates in ward no. 2, erratic drinking water supply in Vallabhai Nagar, Chandrababu Nagar and other bastis in the same ward was picked up by other contestants of the ward.

20,000 residents

In all, 18 candidates are contesting from ward no.2, the highest for any ward in SCB and all of them are canvassing hard to out do each other in garnering votes from over 20,000 residents.

A tough fight is expected among S. Keshava Reddy, K. Tirupathi Reddy, candidates who bank on support from senior Congress leaders and B. Laxman, who is backed by Bharatiya Janata Party.

Though bothered with similar problems, residents of ward no. 4 are badly affected by poor drainage system. Choked drains in residential areas, particularly in Laxminagar, Krupananda, Lalitha Nagar and Gandhi Colony are perennial problems in the ward.

“We can trek a mile to fetch a pot full of water but poor drainage is making life miserable for us.

Despite several requests, authorities do not take up de-silting works,” pointed out V. Raman, a resident of Vijayanagar Colony in ward no. 4.

Comprising of 2000-odd houses, ward no. 4 has 15 contestants in the fray. While former Board member P. Venkat Rao is a strong contender, S. Venkatesh and D.B. Devendar are believed to be other prime contestants from the ward.