MLC moves Hyderabad High Court on bad roads

Hyderabad: Senior advocate and BJP MLC N. Ramachandra Rao has moved a PIL before the Hyderabad High Court seeking to direct the Telangana state government to take immediate steps for repair of severely damaged roads in Hyderabad and Secunderabad. He submitted that the recent incessant rains across the state have caused damage to the existing roads and has become a cause of concern to the regular commuters.

Mr Rao brought to the notice of the court that the poor road conditions and increase in the number of potholes in recent past has led to loss of human lives. He told the court that the roads are in poor condition not only in the twin cities but also in other major cities in the state due to poor maintenance by the municipal authorities. Mr Rao submitted that the frequent digging of roads by various departments and even private companies to lay cables, pipe and drainage lines and also usage of low quality material for the purpose of laying and repairing the roads were also contributing to damage of roads. He urged the court to direct the authorities to take up maintenance and repair of roads forthwith in all parts of the city and submit a status report on the roads condition.

Clear BRS applications before demolitions, court tells GHMC:

The Hyderabad High Court has directed the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation not to take coercive steps to demolish illegal structures raised by the petitioners till orders are passed on their applications for regularisation under the Building Regularisation Scheme. A division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Ramesh Ranganathan and Justice A. Shankar Narayana was disposing of a batch of petitions by owners of some buildings challenging notices issued by the GHMC under Section 452 (1) of the GHMC Act, asking them to show cause why the illegal structures raised by them should not be demolished.

The petitioners told the court that they raised illegal structures and submitted applications for regularisation under the BRS. They said that their applications were still pending for consideration before the authorities. They urged the court to restrain the authorities from demolishing their structures till final orders on their applications that are pending for regularisation are passed. While reminding that it had modified its earlier order in a PIL against the BRS, the bench said, “We consider it appropriate to dispose of all these petitions, in terms of the said order.”

The bench directed that the GHMC not to take coercive steps for demolition of the illegal structures till orders are passed on the applications for regularisation, and the said orders are communicated to the applicants.