GMHC serves show cause notices to offenders

Hyderabad: The town planning wing of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has started surveying the buildings with its teams to get the actual figure of buildings that are being used for commercial activities but housed in residential areas.

As per the GHMC norms, the commercial activities have to be run in a building by taking the necessary permissions from the Town Planning officials, and if they don't take the permission and run commercial activities in residential areas, then it's illegal. According to GHMC officials, the town planning teams are identifying such kinds of buildings in the city and taking necessary actions like issuing show cause notices. The officials also said that action would be taken if the public brings to the notice of the town planning wing such illegal constructions, commercial activities taking place in residential areas etc.

Recently, the residents of Srinikethan Colony requested to stop the upcoming hospital at an illegal building in the midst of residential area, which lacks several facilities. They requested the GHMC commissioner DS Lokesh Kumar to look into this matter and seal the building as the owner of the building had entered into a rental agreement with the hospital. Following the complaint, the civic body inspected the building and issued show cause notice to the owner of the building.

The GHMC officials found that the construction was illegal and had an unauthorised cellar, ground floor plus three floors, and were converting the residential building into commercial for hospital purposes in residential areas without obtaining prior permission from the GHMC.