Follow TNM’s WhatsApp channel for news updates and story links.
The Telangana High Court criticised officials of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) on Monday, June 16, for the rise in the number of unauthorised buildings in the city. Justice B Vijaysen Reddy questioned why the officials fail to take action until buildings are completed and cannot stop them while construction is underway.
The court observed that GHMC officials were failing to act during the construction stage, even as multi-storeyed illegal buildings were being built in public view, Deccan Chronicle reported. The judge said that officials were rushing to demolish them only after buildings were completed.
The court was hearing a petition filed by K Raghuveera Achari, a resident of Serilingampally mandal who had challenged a demolition notice issued by the GHMC deputy commissioner, Chandanagar Circle. He contested the demolition order on the grounds that it violated provisions of the GHMC Act, according to The Times of India.
The petitioner also asked authorities to expedite his application under the Building Regularisation Scheme (BRS), which allows the government to legalise buildings constructed without authorisation.
The court ordered that a status quo be maintained until the BRS application is decided upon.
Pulling up GHMC officials, the court noted that the GHMC Act authorises officials to seal illegal constructions in the early stages, and wanted to know how often this was being done. Justice Vijaysen said that the buildings were invisible to officials during construction, but became visible after completion for tax collection purposes.
Earlier in May, the court had directed GHMC to seal any illegal structure or unauthorised additional floors as soon as a show cause notice is issued, even in cases where an inquiry is pending.
The court observed that issuing notices without immediate enforcement allows violators to complete unauthorised constructions. It asked officials to seal unauthorised floors immediately after they are identified, without delay.
The court also took note of a possible nexus between builders, local politicians and GHMC officials, according to The New Indian Express.