Telangana HC Directs PR Staff to Restore Razed House with Own Money
Hyderabad: Taking serious note of the demolition of a tin shed house of a poor family despite a court stay orders, the Telangana High Court directed the staff of the panchayat raj (PR) department at Nagar Kurnool district to restore the demolished house by spending from their own pockets.
The court faulted the panchayat raj officials for disregarding the stay orders and it viewed that the officials are trying to show their dominance over people by bulldozing the tiny shed of a poor couple, who eke out their livelihood by running a corner store. The court questioned whether the same authorities can demolish the illegal constructions of influential people.
Justice T. Madhavi Devi of the High Court was dealing with a petition filed by Katakam Mahesh and Nagalakshmi, residents of Domalapenta village of Amrabad Mandal who constructed the house in the village of Domalapenta many years ago and have been residing in the same and have granted trade license to run small buddy shops and they also pay the property tax.
Without any reason, the panchayat raj officials issued a notice for removal of the structures. Challenging the same, the petitioners approached the HC and the court granted the interim stay orders directing the officials to not take any coercive steps, till further orders.
Meanwhile, the court directed the department to file their submissions. Without filing the counter and while the interim stay orders are subsisting, the officials demolished the house of Mahesh and Nagalakshmi.
The judge pulled up the district panchayat officer of Nagar Kurnool and proceeded to punish for contempt. However, Shazia Parveen, the government counsel for panchayat raj department argued that the DPO is not aware of the over acts of the sub-ordinate staff and submitted the undertakings of the panchayat secretary and others, who have submitted they will restore the constructions. Considering it, the court gave two weeks time to restore the demolished constructions.
