Hyderabad: Taking advantage of the absence of a functional municipal building tribunal, builders are erecting unauthorised constructions across the city. As per GHMC records, over 3,000 cases against illegal projects are pending in lower courts. The tribunal was constituted in 2016 but no one has been appointed to it.
In April, the High Court had directed the government to appoint members within four weeks. The High Court had even suggested names of two retired judges for consideration as the chairperson and the government came up with two names of retired town planners who retired as directors.
Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma, going by the assurance of the Advocate General, disposed of a PIL filed by an NGO pertaining to the appointment of chairperson and technical members within four weeks from April 27.
According to the secretary of Forum for Good Governance M. Padmanabha Reddy, unauthorised constructions are seriously affecting planned development and causing a multitude of problems to the community. He said whenever municipal authorities issue notices for demolishing such constructions, the builders move court and get stay orders.
They then continue to violate building and fire safety norms, putting the lives of occupants in peril. He cited the recent fire mishap following an explosion in the ground floor of Ruby hotel, Secunderabad, which killed eight persons.
He said that after waiting for three years for a positive response from the government, the NGO had filed a PIL in 2019 seeking appointment of a chairperson and technical members. He informed that the government pleader had assured the court that the tribunal would be constituted within four weeks from April 27. He said that the failure to fill up posts in the last five months was tantamount to contempt of court.
A top official from Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MA&UD), requesting anonymity, told Deccan Chronicle that the government’s delay has helped builders to get stay orders from the lower courts whenever the nodal agency issues notice to demolish the unauthorised structure. Once a full-fledged MBT takes shape, it is certain that the burden on lower courts is reduced considerably, he said.
Once Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao gives his nod, the selected MBT members will take charge.
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