Senior HMDA, GHMC officials booked for permitting illegal constructions near Errakunta Lake
The accused officials are charged with violating environmental standards by aiding in the erroneous construction of buildings within the lake’s buffer zone
By Sistla Dakshina Murthy Published on 31 Aug 2024 9:14 AM GMT
Hyderabad: The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Cyberabad Police has booked as many as six top officials from the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) and the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) for allegedly abetting illegal encroachments around Errakunta in Chandanagar and Pragathi Nagar.
The cases were registered by the Economic Offence Wing (EOW) of Cyberabad Police following a complaint by the Hyderabad Disaster Response and Assets Protection Agency (HYDRAA) commissioner AV Ranganath.
The accused officials include HMDA city planner Raj Kumar, Nizampet municipal commissioner Rama Krishna Rao, Chandanagar municipal deputy commissioner Sudanshu, HMDA assistant planning officer Sudhir Kumar, Bachupally mandal revenue officer Pul Singh, and Medchal-Malkajgiri land record assistant director Srinivasulu.
The accused officials are charged with violating environmental standards by aiding in the erroneous construction of buildings within the lake’s buffer zone. According to HYDRAA’s latest investigations, these officials allegedly permitted the construction of unauthorised buildings on 0.29 acres of encroached property, endangering the lake’s biological integrity.
As per the complaint, Nizampet Municipal Commissioner P Ramakrishna Rao allowed unauthorised construction in Buffer Zone of Errakunta pond, Pragathi Nagar, Sy. No. 134, Errakunta pond.
Permission were granted based on incorrect geo-coordinates, placing the constructions 75 meters away from the actual location of the pond. The matter was brought to the High Court, which issued a judgment allowing the construction to proceed under the condition that it would not interfere with the identification of FTL/Buffer Zone by following due process.
Ramakrishna issued building permissions without proper procedure and failed to act on reminders from the Metropolitan Commissioner, HMDA, to revoke these permissions.
Meanwhile, GHMC Asst City planner M Raj Kumar and Deputy Commissioner - encouraged illegal construction in Buffer Zone of Erla Cherruvu at Vaishali Nagar, Madeenaguda Village.
Building permissions and occupancy certificates were issued for the said plots despite clear communications from the Irrigation Department indicating that these constructions violated buffer zone regulations.
M Raj Kumar, Asst. City Planner, Circle-21, Chandanagar, GHMC (04-05-2023 to 23-07-2024), N Sudhamsh, Dy. Commissioner, Circle- 21, Chandanagar, GHMC (20-02-2020 to 18-07-2023).
These two officials were responsible for granting building permissions and occupancy certificates for constructions that were in clear violation of buffer zone regulations, despite repeated warnings and requests from the Irrigation Department to stop these constructions.
Three structures in the buffer zone was pulled down and criminal case was registered against private builder.
