Hyderabad: Ranga Reddy district panchayat raj officials have initiated action against illegal structures and layouts in 84 villages as per GO 111. As per directions of the High Court issued last month and instructions issued last year on illegal buildings and layouts in villages covered by the government order issued in 1996 for protecting Osmansagar and Himayatsagar lakes in-charge district panchayat officer (DPO) deputy collector L. Ramadevi directed her staff to identify all illegal structures built in the last five years.
Five years back the officials had identified about 227 layouts and illegal structures in several mandals within 10 km of these lakes. Shamshabad topped the list with 141 illegal structures and layouts followed by Moinabad (69), Rajendra-nagar (7), Shankarpally (4), Chevella (3) and Shabad (3). During a field visit in the last four days district panchayat raj staff identified around 125 illegal layouts established in the last two years. Officials are sending notices to the owners of all illegal structures they have identified apart from demolishing buildings built after 2010.
In-charge DPO L. Ramadevi told DC that they have taken up demolitions in 10 mandals. “We are focusing on structures constructed after 2010. We found that hundreds of applications for ineligible structures were received under GO 58 & 59 for regularisation,” she said. She said the process is being continued. “Our staff is verifying illegal buildings and layouts on the field and the process will continue,” she said. Officials are identifying the role of revenue and panchayat raj officials in the establishment of illegal layouts and buildings. Ranga Reddy collector M. Ragunandhan Rao had earlier issued show cause notices to erring staff in gram panchayats located in the IT corridor.
Villagers from the 84 panchayats covered by GO-111 are protesting against it and have asked the government to cancel it. Former Home minister P. Sabitha Reddy’s son P. Koushik Reddy has filed a PIL at the HC challenging the GO.
