Telangana HC slams GHMC officials for not razing illegal structures

Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court deplored the indifferent attitude of GHMC officials, who were not taking any action against unauthorised constructions on the pretext of court orders.

The court cautioned the civic authorities that when a status quo order is passed by the courts in cases related to unauthorised constructions, it did not imply that they could adopt a hands-off approach and allow continuation of illegal constructions while effectively rendering demolition notices redundant.

 The court wondered that the GHMC staff even did not know that the status quo meant the status as on the date of passing the order to be maintained.

The division bench, comprising Chief Justice Ujjal Bhuyan and Justice N. Tukaramji, was dealing with an appeal filed by Siddapuram Raja Reddy of Attapur, who complained that GHMC authorities were unconcerned about the illegal construction undertaken by his neighbours.

GHMC counsel submitted that the authorities had passed demolition orders in 2018 and thereafter, the builders approached district judiciary and had obtained status quo orders. Hence, they did not go about the demolition. Raja Reddy informed the court that despite the status quo orders, the illegal construction was nearing completion while GHMC officials ignored his representations.

Expressing displeasure, the court said that it implied that some civic body officials were hand in glove with builders of illegal constructions.