Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court has once again reprimanded the Hyderabad Development Authority (HYDRA) for its actions regarding illegal construction demolitions in the city. The court questioned the urgency behind issuing notices on Friday, giving just one day to respond on Saturday, and proceeding with demolitions by Sunday. “What was the need for such haste in demolishing properties by Sunday?” the court inquired.
The court was hearing a petition filed by Samreddy Balareddy, who challenged the demolition of properties in Kohid village of Abdullapurmet Mandal in Rangareddy district. The petition argued that the notices issued by HYDRA were unlawful and sought the annulment of these notices. During the hearing, the petitioner’s lawyer pointed out that HYDRA had issued notices on Friday, instructing the petitioner to appear personally by Saturday, and immediately proceeded with demolitions by Sunday. The officials had demanded that the petitioner bring title documents, passbooks, and other paperwork within just one day, which was deemed unreasonable and against legal provisions.
The court expressed anger over the authorities’ actions, emphasizing that they had no right to initiate demolitions without giving the affected parties a reasonable opportunity to present their case. The court noted that despite multiple warnings, HYDRA’s conduct remained unchanged. It issued interim orders to halt the demolitions and instructed the petitioner to respond to the notices within a week. Furthermore, the court directed HYDRA not to take any further action without giving the petitioner a fair opportunity to submit necessary documents and present their case.
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The court also warned HYDRA against conducting demolitions during holidays and made it clear that if such actions were carried out, strict measures would be imposed. This incident follows previous instances where the High Court expressed frustration with HYDRA’s hasty actions. In a past case involving the FT area, the court criticized HYDRA for issuing immediate demolition orders without waiting for the affected parties to provide explanations. The court had ordered a resolution within four weeks after reviewing the explanations of the victims.
This latest case pertains to notices issued for demolitions in Almaseguda, Rangareddy district, on the 10th of this month, which are also being challenged in the court. The court’s discontent with HYDRA’s actions continues to raise concerns about the handling of such issues by the authorities.