HC pulls up GHMC for not acting against illegal structures

Hyderabad: The High Court at Hyderabad has pulled up authorities of Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) for not acting sternly in dealing with illegal/unauthorised constructions, observing that the civic body cannot wash hands off by just intimating to the local police about these constructions.

It has underlined that it is the duty of the GHMC to stop and remove such illegal/unauthorised constructions by taking the help of the police if necessary. Justice A Ramalingeswara Rao made these observations recently while allowing a petition by Padma Reddy and others challenging the action of the GHMC authorities in not acting against the private individuals who raised four floors extra in violation of the permission granted in Housing Board Colony in Bahadurpura area of Hyderabad.

The court had earlier granted an interim order directing the GHMC authorities to ensure that no further construction is carried out but even that was violated.

The judge observed in his judgment that “it is a common knowledge that several unauthorised structures are coming up in the city due to laxity of the corporation officials.”

He further underlined that “the officials of the corporation are under obligation to stop the illegal construction and they cannot throw blame on the police for their failure.” The judge noted that after perusing the photographs placed before the court, it was clearly evident that the unauthorised structures were completely raised, plastered and painted and the entire thing could not have happened during night time only, as being alleged by the GHMC. He directed the GHMC to completely remove the unauthorised structures raised by private individuals in Bahadurpura area of the city within three months.