Telangana govt likely to pass ordinance to expand HYDRAA’s powers: Ranganath

Hyderabad: “An ordinance to strengthen the legal sanctity of the HYDRAA (Hyderabad Disaster Response and Assets Protection Agency) and grant it special authority similar to Taskforce and Greyhounds will likely be passed in October,” HYDRAA commissioner AV Ranganath said.

‘HYDRAA has legal authority’

Ranganath on Saturday said that the HYDRAA was constituted by the State government on July 19, through GO 99 by executive resolution. He highlighted that the contention that the agency doesn’t have legal standing is untrue, following a petition filed in the Telangana High Court questioning the legal authority of HYDRAA in demolishing the structures.

“Soon, an ordinance is likely to come up probably in the next month or so. We will be exercising various powers under various acts that will be delegated onto HYDRAA,” he said. Ranganath said that initially it would be preceded by the Water, Land and Trees (WALTA) Act, or municipal Act or Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporate (GHMC) Act or Irrigation Act.

“We are gathering a lot of information to delegate the powers from the respective departments. Once it gets approved in the policy document it will be discussed in the Cabinet and then an ordinance will be formulated. Within six weeks, it has to be passed in the Assembly,” the HYDRAA commissioner said.

Legal precedence

Ranganath also recalled that in the past, a number of legal bodies, including the planning commission (established in March 1950), the cabinet secretariat, the law commission, the anti-corruption bureau, and the vigilance and enforcement departments, to mention a few, were established by an executive resolution.

On Friday, the Telangana High Court expressed a strong exception to the demolition drive taken by the HYDRAA. The HC Justice K Lakshman has directed the Telangana Government to respond to a writ petition challenging Government Order (GO) 99, establishing the HYDRAA.

In her writ petition, D Lakshmi, a resident of Nanakramguda claimed that rooms on her land in Ailapur Village, Ameenpur mandal, Sangareddy District, had been unlawfully demolished by HYDRAA officials without permission or following the correct processes on September 3. According to the petitioner, the government disregarded legal procedure and acted without first providing notice.

Ensuring legal processes

After reviewing the petition, Justice Lakshman directed the State Government to make sure that all legal procedures are followed and to examine all necessary property papers, such as the sale deed and approvals from the appropriate authorities, before taking any further action.

Justice Lakshman granted this plea and directed the authorities to hold off on tampering with the petitioner’s property until the correct legal procedures had been followed. The case is scheduled for further hearing on September 30.