Manikonda civic body cocks a snook at HMDA orders

Manikonda: In the absence of proper coordination between the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) and the Ranga Reddy municipalities, pleas regarding encroachments on lakes, unauthorised and disputed layouts and illegal constructions remain lying unheard for a long time.

Be it a HMDA notified Yerra Kunta Cheruvu in Jalpally, which has almost disappeared due to brazen level of encroachments or unauthorised layouts and illegal constructions in Manikonda municipality, everything gave a deep insight into a lacklustre dispute redressal system of the civic institutions such as HMDA and the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) causing hardships for the citizens.

Despite instructions being issued from HMDA against unauthorised layouts and constructions, the Manikonda municipality is taking it lightly resulting in encouragement of offenders and land sharks who are found carrying their activities with full impunity.

This came to light recently when a letter was found lying un-attended with the Municipal office regarding instructions from HMDA to act against disputed layout in Sy.No.88 of Neknampur village of Gandipet Mandal under Manikonda municipality.

Only last year the HMDA passed a communication through letter No.7676/MP2/H/1999 dated October 8, 2021 to the Commissioner Municipal Council Manikonda asking him not to issue any building permission in Sy.No. 88 of Neknampur village in Gandipet Mandal till enquiry into the disputed layout finishes.

However, despite knowing that the earlier order was thrown to the wind as construction on disputed layout found moving constantly, the HMDA passed second similar communication on June 2022 again through a letter No. 7676/MP2/H/1999 dated November 6, 2022 asking the commissioner not to allow construction activity in the disputed layout in Sy.No.88 in compliance to the Court order under W.P.No. 17940/2020, dated October 19, 2020.

The metropolitan body also reminded the municipal commissioner to take appropriate action under section 23(2) of HMDA Act 2008 and file a compliance report within 15 days from the date of receipt of the letter for further action in the matter. However, it was found that no action was taken yet by the Municipal Council.

"All the orders issued by the Court and the HMDA regarding steps to prevent construction on disputed layout spreads over an area of 2.27 acres of land in Sy.No.88 of Neknampur Village in Gandipet Mandal was thrown to the air. The construction activities are relentlessly moving on round the clock under the nose of Manikonda municipality while the officials from both HMDA and the municipality found are busy in playing blame games," rued Mohd Zahed Hussain, the complainant.

When contacted, K Phalgun Kumar, the Commissioner Municipal Council Manikonda said, "We are not approving permissions in Sy.No.88 of Neknampur Village under Gandipet Mandal ever since we came to know about the dispute over the layout.

However, the Town Planning Officer of Manikonda Municipal Council G Rakesh, who visited the area to inspect the disputed site lashed out at HMDA for approving the layout first and now asking the Municipal officials to stop the construction activities.

"The development plan in the disputed layout was approved by the HMDA itself and the authority should cancel it first before asking us to supervise the activities. If the plan was approved by the HMDA, who are we to keep an eye on the activities over the disputed site all the time," rued the official.