HYDRA cracks whip on corrupt officials

Hyderabad: The HYDRA (Hyderabad Disaster Response and Assets Monitoring Protection Agency, )which continued demolitions of illegal structures including those of Mailardevpally BJP corporator T Srinivas Reddy’s house in FTL limits of Appa Cheruvu, cracked the whip on corrupt officials for permitting construction in the FTL and buffer zones of water bodies.

Cases were booked against the Municipal and Revenue officials. Some builders were slapped with notices and action is likely to be taken in a day or two. Soon a HYDRA police station would be set up and instead of agencies like Irrigation and municipal wings, HYDRA would be directly issuing notices for demolition or illegal structures.

Officials said that the HYDRA team has submitted a list of corrupt officials to the Police Commissioners of Cyberabad and Rachakonda and asked them to book cases. The city police registered cases against six such officials. FIR (first information report) was registered against Nizampet Municipal Commissioner Ramakrishna, Chandanagar GHMC Deputy Commissioner Sudansh, Bachupalli MRO Pool Singh, Medchal-Malkajgiri Land Records Assistant Director Srinivasulu, HMDA Assistant Planning Officer Sudhir Kumar and HMDA City Planner Rajkumar. HYDRA has gathered evidence against the officials to prove that they committed irregularities in permitting the construction of buildings by violating the stipulated norms and regulations to preserve the lakes, ponds, and other water bodies in the Greater Hyderabad limits.

Some officials colluded with the realtors, encouraged them to launch apartment and villa ventures, and sold them at exorbitant prices by deceiving the consumers.

“The role of GHMC and HMDA officials in permitting the construction of illegal apartments and independent houses in the gated community in the FTP and buffers zones of the Lakes was under scrutiny,” the HYDRA officials said. A thorough investigation into the role of municipal officials in the encroachment of lakes was in progress, they said.

The role of at least 50 GHMC and HMDA officials in the illegal occupation of the lakebeds was already established with evidence and action would be initiated against them in a phased manner. The HYDRA Commissioner would call a high-level meeting with top officials of GHMC and HMDA soon to initiate disciplinary action against the corrupt officials next week.