HC seeks report from ACB on illegal construction

HYDERABAD: In an order of serious indictment of the approach of the GHMC officials, justice CV Nagarjuna Reddy of the AP High Court called for a detailed report from the ACB on the involvement and culpability of the GHMC officials in the illegal construction of a number of multi-storeyed buildings under its jurisdiction. The judge was dealing with a batch of five cases, all dealing with pleas against threat of demolition or against the inaction of the authorities resulting in the construction of such buildings.The petitioner in one case pointed out how the Gurukul Trust and the Sri Chaitanya Technology Institute had constructed multi-storeyed buildings without even applying for building permission. In another case, the judge said that a complaint was made when the first floor was being constructed but there was no action from the GHMC even after six floors were built. Justice Reddy recorded a prima facie finding that the zonal commissioner of the area had failed to carry out his duties. He refused to withdraw his comments when counsel for the GHMC Dr Padmavathy made a special mention for the same. The judge made it clear that such largescale illegal constructions could be possible only with the collusion of the civic authorities. The ACB was given four weeks time to submit the report to the court.