AP High Court will deliver a set of guidelines to the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) authorities for preventing emergence of illegal constructions
Hyderabad
The AP High Court will deliver a set of guidelines to the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) authorities for preventing emergence of illegal constructions, misuse of cellars, open spaces, using residential areas for commercial activities etc.
“We will be doing this rather reluctantly because it is an executive function and we are not here to monitor as to how you are doing your daily routine. We are asking you to implement the existing rules and Acts, and for doing this also, you are citing the pressure from courts,” justice N V Ramana said on Friday.
The judge expressed dissastisfaction over the way the authorities are carrying out even routine duties. He was disposing of the petitions filed by Model House Space Owners Association which questioned GHMC’s inaction in curbing the misuse of parking spaces etc.
When a GHMC official boasted of demoliting as many as 13,000 constructions in the last one month, the judge retorted: “Had you done your duty regularly, the need for such largescale demolition now would not have arisen.” When the officials cited lack of manpower as a reason for their inaction, the judge did not agree with them.
“You are collecting taxes and it is your duty to build up your infrastructure. You should feel ashamed of yourselves to search for excuses at the last minute,” he said.
“Not one or two houses, even colonies are emerging illegally. Tell us if you are incapable of doing this job,” the judge said to them.
Justice Ramana also told the corporation to spend some money on creating awareness among the public to prevent the emergence of illegal structures so as to avoid unpleasant demolitions at the end. “This would erase the need for introducing building penalisation schemes that are aimed at regularising what was patently illegal,” he said.
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