Hyderabad: Tribunal to end disputes still a dream
The file for its formation, which has been cleared by the finance department, has been pending with the state government.
Hyderabad: The Municipal Building Tribunal (MBT), which was set up to speedily dispose of legal cases, is yet to see the light of day. The file for its formation, which has been cleared by the finance department, has been pending with the state government.
The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) decided to form a building tribunal in order to resolve legal disputes regarding unauthorised structures in the city. The tribunal was to consist of a legal luminary of the stature of a High Court judge who would be assisted by the town planning experts and structural engineers.
The MBT would deal with cases pertaining to town planning, especially illegal constructions within the GHMC limits. It would enjoy the powers of a city civil court and follow the rules outlined in the Code of Civil Procedure of 1908.
A senior GHMC official, on condition of anonymity, said that some builders were exploiting loopholes within the Municipal Act and approaching courts to obtain stay orders or injunctions whenever the GHMC tried to take action against building violations. He said that about 3,500 structures in the city were embroiled in legal disputes. He added that builders violated norms, manipulated courts, and proceeded with their construction activities. The official said that the proposal for constitution of a building tribunal was awaiting the state government’s approval.
“This tribunal will put an end to the conventional methods followed by the corporation and speed up the demolition of unauthorised structures. We are hopeful of a positive decision within a couple of weeks.”
When asked why counter petitions had not been filed for pending cases, the official said he had directed the assistant city planners to immediate file counter-affidavits for all pending cases for the vacation of status quo/injunction orders.