Hyderabad: Secunderabad Cantonment Board (SCB) on Friday began demolishing unauthorised commercial structures on a four-acre parcel of B-3 defence land in Sikh Village, following a legal battle that began in 1996. The property housed KJR Gardens and Viceroy Garden function halls, which were being used for commercial purposes despite the land being earmarked for residential use, according to SCB officials. The demolition began around 5:30 am, with locals initially resisting the action. Police were deployed at the site to prevent any law and order issues.“The board has been actively identifying locations where unauthorised activities are taking place on defence land. While some disputes are still pending in court, we are taking action as and when court orders are pronounced. There are around 120 old grant bungalows spread across 400 acres of defence land, but the board does not maintain an active record of every individual property,” said SCB CEO Arvind Dwivedi.“The board had approached the court in 1996 seeking demolition of the function hall and has pursued the case since then. The court ruled in the board’s favour earlier this week, paving the way for the demolition,” said Ch Uma Shankar, Cantonment engineer.B-3 is a category of Cantonment land that includes properties held under lease or old grant terms. Such land is recorded in the General Land Register (GLR), with the rights of occupants governed by the applicable grant conditions. In the case of old grant properties, the land may vest with the Union govt, while occupants hold specific rights subject to the terms of the grant. The demolition is part of SCB’s efforts to act against alleged unauthorised use of defence land. The board maintains that land earmarked for residential use cannot be used for commercial establishments without the required permissions.
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