Lack of civic sense to cost dearly

The GHMC has decided to impose heavy penalties on people who indulge in neglectful activities; fine amount to go up from the present `50 to `50,000

Hyderabad: In a major jolt to slack denizens of the State capital, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has revised the penalties for neglectful actions that cause public nuisance manifold.

As a result, tying you dog to a pole in a public place will now attract a penalty of Rs 1,000. Dumping debris, especially building material on streets, would be penalised Rs 50,000. The civic body revised the penal amounts of all wings including veterinary, town planning, engineering, electrical, health and sanitation and others.

The penal amounts have now been enhanced from Rs 50 to Rs 50,000 depending on the nature of violation. The amounts were last revised in 2008. A senior official said the corporation had revised Section 596 pertaining to revision of penalties under Schedule U of the GHMC Act.

A pet owner now has to pay Rs 1,000 as penal amount (which was only Rs 50 previously) for tethering animal in public places or streets. The license fee for pet animals has also been enhanced from Rs 50 to Rs 1,000. The corporation would also impose fine of Rs 1,000 for not paying the license fee for pet animals. The town planning would now impose fine of Rs 20,000 (which was Rs 50 previously) for dumping debris in the public places.

The corporation officials claim that the GHMC has enhanced the penal amounts only to increase public safety. He said the penal amounts would be collected from contractors for not following the norms prescribed by the civic body.

He said the corporation would impose penalty of Rs 10,000 for closing the streets without placing a sign board indicating an alternative route to the commuters. He said the penal amount for such violations had been enhanced from Rs 50 to Rs 10,000. The amount for depositing building material on streets which obstructs the passage of vehicles the penal amount has been increased from Rs 10,000 to Rs 50,000.

For robbing streetlights, the penal amount is increased from Rs 1,000 to Rs 10,000. Besides this, the corporation would also levy heavy fine on persons for dumping animal remains and others which pollute the environment. The civic body has enhanced the penal amount for polluting fee from Rs 1,000 to Rs 20,000. Penal amounts in the town planning has enhanced from Rs 50 to Rs 50,000.

Heavy fine would be levied on persons for not demolishing dilapidated structures, constructing unauthorised structures and others. The corporation enhanced penal amount from Rs 10,000 to Rs 50,000 for not taking up public safety measures while constructing the structures.

The GHMC official further said the corporation had enhanced the penal amount on 31 sections in the GHMC Act. Officials say that the corporation is also contemplating to take criminal action on all violators for continuous violations. He made it clear that the corporation would penalise only after inspecting the site and gathering information from all sorts of media.