Remove bins, Hyderabad High Court orders GHMC

Hyderabad: The Hyderabad High Court on Friday cracked the whip over the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation placing garbage bins in front of houses and shops of property tax defaulters and directed the authorities to take steps to remove them forthwith.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Kalyan Jyoti Sengupta and Justice P.V. Sanjay Kumar termed the GHMC’s move an “uncivilised act” maintaining that no civilised society would resort to such unheard of practices.

The bench was dealing with a petition by J. Anil Kumar, a resident of Regimental Bazaar, Secunderabad, challenging the action of the GHMC placing a garbage bin in front of his shop though he had no dues to be paid to the GHMC.

Criticising the GHMC for adopting “illegal measures” for collecting arrears, Justice Sengupta asked Ms Deepthi, counsel for the civic body, under which provision of the law had they resorted to such acts and what the authorities are doing is actually an offence.

The CJ said, “Even if any law allows such cheap practices, we will strike it down.” The bench granted an hour’s time to GHMC counsel to tell the authorities to remove the bin from the petitioner’s premises. After one hour, GHMC counsel came to the court and informed that the bin has been removed.