Telangana HC raps GHMC for illegal buildings

Hyderabad: GHMC commissioner M. Dana Kishore and deputy commissioner Uma Prak-ash faced the Telang-ana High Court’s wrath on Thursday for the corporation staff’s apathy in responding to complaints about illegal constructions and implementation of the court’s orders.

The officials appeared before Justice Challa Kodanda Ram on Thursday.

When the GHMC counsel urged Justice Kodanda Ram to take up cases relating to the appearance of GHMC officials and grant exemption from appearance, the judge said: “Let them wait for their turn. They are aware of the cases before the court on illegal constructions due to the inaction of GHMC staff and the pressure to solve the cases.”

The judge had earlier slapped a contempt notice against the commissioner and two officials when they failed to comply with a court order vis-a-vis demolition of an illegal structure at Viveknagar in Chikkadpally.

Justice Kodanda Ram had issued orders directing the officials to visit the structure and furnish the status report. When they failed to do so, he summoned the commissioner and two officials.

Taking up the case after a while, Justice Kodanda Ram said if the officers had acted promptly on complaints about illegal structures, the people would not have felt the need to knock on the doors of the court.

“Your inaction is causing a burden on the court,” the judge said. “If you cannot curb rampant illegal structures from coming up, how will you make Hyderabad a better city? If this attitude continues, how will we leave a better society for our future generations?”

Justice Kodanda Ram made it clear that it was the responsibility of      senior officers who are at the helm of affairs to monitor the situation and regulate functioning of their juniors

The judge asked Mr Dana Kishore whether there was an internal mechanism to check and curb illegal constructions and to check the status of complaints.

The commissioner submitted that errant builders were approaching civil courts and obtaining injunction orders, which were rendering corporation officials helpless.

Mr Kishore submitted that the corporation would soon come out with a special tribunal that deals with these problems in a more practical way.

“There is a need to create awareness about the ill-effects of illegal structures because they would make the city unsafe in the long run,” Justice Kodandaram said.

“The grandchildren of these violators too would find it difficult to survive in such an unsafe environment and this is what this court wants everyone to realise.”Justice Kodan-daram added.

The judge adjourned the matter while dispensing with the presence of the commissioner and two officials in the case.