Schools, Colleges Will Get Time Before Demolition, Says HYDRAA Chief
Hyderabad: Hyderabad Disaster Response and Assets Monitoring and Protection Agency (HYDRAA) commissioner A. V. Ranganath on Monday indicated that they will give notices to public utility structures such as educational institutions, and provide time to relocate students and demolish the building themselves. He further said that if they fail to do so, HYDRAA would demolish the structures.
The HYDRAA chief’s remarks come after major educational institutions belonging to political leaders were allegedly found to be constructed on lake's FTL and Buffer lands. AIMIM MLA Akbaruddin Owaisi's Fatima Owaisi Women's College, BRS MLA Palla Rajeshwar Reddy's Anurag University, and BRS MLA Malla Reddy's colleges among others are already under the scanner of the HYDRAA for constructing on FTL and buffer lands.
Ranganath addressed the concerns raised by BJP corporators during a recent meeting, where he emphasised that the focus is on enforcing the law impartially, irrespective of political affiliations. “They are public utility structures. Students are studying, and if we demolish now, their academic year would be wasted,” he said.
“Be it Owaisi, or Malla Reddy, we only have one rule. If it is an illegal construction, we will give notice and time. If they do not demolish them, HYDRAA will do that job," Ranganath stated firmly.
He further clarified that the actions of HYDRAA would not be swayed by political influence, reiterating that the authority’s primary responsibility is to uphold the regulations and reclaim public land. "We will deal (with the violation of law) irrespective of politics," Ranganath added.
An FIR was filed against BRS Jangaon MLA Palla Rajeshwar Reddy’s Anurag University by irrigation department executive engineer Parameshwar on Saturday for allegedly constructing the university in the buffer zone of a water body. Similarly, several allegations were made against AIMIM MLA Akbaruddin Owaisi’s Fatima Owaisi Women’s College and BRS MLA Malla Reddy’s colleges being constructed on FTL and buffer zones of lakes.
In a related development, officials from the state irrigation department have conducted an inspection of the Janwada Farmhouse, which has also come under the scanner for encroaching on FTL land.
Officials were seen take measurements near the farmhouse on Tuesday. The Hyderabad High Court had recently directed HYDRAA to act in accordance with the law and regulations, stressing that if the farmhouse was indeed constructed on FTL land, the responsible parties must be issued notices.
The farmhouse, which is located near the Firangi Nala waterbody, has been accused of encroaching on the watercourse, with allegations that its compound wall and gate have been built over the Nala. The High Court’s order instructed HYDRAA to assess the situation by reviewing the property’s sale deeds, permissions, and residential tax receipts before making any final decisions.
