Hyderabad: Quick-action panel delayed

Hyderabad: Delay in the formation of the Municipal Building Tribunal (MBT) has affected the progress of infrastructure work and is resulting in rampant increase of unauthorised constructions. The MBT was meant to speedily dispose of cases.

The finance department has cleared the MBT proposal but the file has been stuck with the Chief Minister’s Office for approval for at least a year.

The MBT was intended to deal with cases pertaining to town planning, especially illegal constructions. It would enjoy the powers of a city civil court and follow the rules outlined in the Code of Civil Procedure of 1908.

The tribunal was to be headed by a legal luminary of the level of a High Court judge who would be assisted by town planning experts and structural engineers. In the absence of the tribunal, several persons have been moving court to get a stay on developmental works or continue with unauthorised constructions.

Sources said some builders were exploiting loopholes within the GHMC Act and approaching courts to obtain stay orders or injunctions whenever the corporation tried to take action against building violations.

About 3,500 structures in the city are embroiled in legal disputes. Builders have violated norms, manipulated the legal process and proceeded with their construction activities.

Sources said the town planning wing had 3,254 cases followed by health and sanitation (252), revenue (152), engineering wing (138), estates (11) and others 11. There had been no progress on these in the last five years.

About 2,500 cases are pending in rapidly developing areas like Kukat-pally, Serilingampally, Banjara Hills, Jubilee Hills, Madhapur, Hitec City and areas in the Old City.

To fight these cases, the civic body has been paying legal practitioners in all 30 circles Rs 15,000 on monthly basis.

The corporation has been paying Rs 5,000 per case in the High Court where about 500 cases are pending.

Even though there has been hardly any progress in the pending cases. GHMC sources alleged  that several lawyers had not been appearing in court to argue the cases. They alleged that some officials were working with the petitioners and delaying the cases.

Sources alleged that the GHMC officials had not even handed over the documents to the lawyers to argue the case.

A senior GHMC official on condition of anonymity said, “Though stringent rules have been included in the New Municipal Act, they would applicable for all other corporations and urban local bodies barring the GHMC. The formation of MBT would expedite the speedy disposal of cases and several other issues relating to developmental works,” he said.