Hyderabad HC sentences Guntur Municipal Commissioner for involvement in illegal construction

The Hyderabad High Court sentenced the Guntur Municipal Corporation (GMC) Commissioner S Nagalakshmi, to one month simple imprisonment, after the latter reportedly colluded with a builder for an illegal construction at Kothapet.

The New Indian Express reported that the court ordered for the building to be demolished in four weeks, and also imposed a fine of Rs 20,000 on the Commissioner and the builder. 

The court was hearing a petition filed by one Dr Murali, who had first brought the illegal construction to light in front of the court, in September last year. 

The construction was reportedly taking place without the permission of the Capital Region Development Authority (CRDA), which is overlooking the building of Andhra's new capital, Amaravati.

However, despite a court order directing authorities to stop all construction activity, the petitioner alleged that work went on, and filed a contempt case in the HC.

The court also sentenced the builder to two months imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 2,000.    

However, the HC has given the accused six weeks to file an appeal, and suspended the sentence till then.

In the first week of April, Andhra Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu was reportedly irked with ‘unplanned’ private constructions at the entrance of the Interim Government Complex in Velagapudi.

According to reports, Naidu asked CRDA officials to come out with a comprehensive plan to address the issue of illegal constructions in the capital region.

In September last year, the CRDA demolished several buildings in and around Vijayawada on Monday that were allegedly constructed illegally.

"As per AP Buildings rules, the minimum road width shall be 30 feet. Builders are constructing apartments and group houses in plots having narrow roads. Public are cautioned not to purchase apartment and group houses which are constructed without permissions as per the rules," the CRDA had said at the time.