Demolition work began on an under-construction multi-storey building owned by the wife of a former Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MLA, after a notice served by the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) on Friday, as the structure allegedly violated regulations.
The building, situated on the Dwarakanagar main road in Visakhapatnam, was owned by Peela Vijaya Lakshmi, the wife of ex-Anakapalle MLA Peela Govinda Satyanarayana.
Demolition orders were issued by GVMC Commissioner Dr G Srijana, and police personnel were deployed on the site to prevent untoward incidents and also regulate and ensure the smooth flow of traffic.
The GVMC said that the plan of the building was not approved and construction was started without obtaining the pre-requisite permission from the municipal body. The officials also ruled out regularisation as they stated that several notices had been issued over the last two years to the owners of the plot.
Andhra Pradesh: Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) workers are demolishing an under-construction multi-storey building owned by former Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MLA Peela Govinda Satyanarayana's wife for violating regulations. (17.08.2019) pic.twitter.com/m0wbmXJcUB
— ANI (@ANI) August 18, 2019
However, after the early morning crackdown by the GVMC, the MLA and his wife managed to get a stay order from the High Court, against the demolition.
“By around 2.30 pm, we came to know about the stay order from High Court and stopped the demolition. By the time, about 75% building was demolished,” GVMC Chief City Planner Vidyullatha was quoted as saying.
The MLA and his aides claimed that it was a selective attack on the politician as he belonged to the opposition TDP, pointing out that several illegal constructions in Visakhapatnam were untouched.
Earlier this year, the GVMC issued a show-cause notice and said that the TDP office building near Seven Hills Hospital was ‘unauthorised’ and 'illegal'. A notice issued on June 28 stated that the GVMC would go ahead with demolition if a satisfactory explanation was not given.
Authorities had in July said that around 300 illegal structures had been identified for demolition in the city. The structures built near the beach in violation of Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) norms have also come under the scanner of the GVMC.