High pendency of Prajavani complaints in Town Planning wing of GHMC

HYDRAA Commissioner A.V. Ranganath to participate in Prajavani weekly grievance redressal programme on encroachments, in Hyderabad on Monday.
| Photo Credit: RAMAKRISHNA G.

Complaints piling up from Prajavani programme are indicative of the apathy of the zonal and circle level officials of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation with regard to the unauthorised constructions or structures with deviations.

Updating of the action taken report, which is the rudimentary step towards resolution, is pending for over 47% of the complaints received from across the zones, official sources informed.

During the 17 Prajavani sessions conducted since October 7 last year till January 27 this year, a total 330 complaints had been received pertaining to the Town Planning wing, almost all of which were about unauthorised structures and impingements.

Action-taken reports have been updated only for 174 complaints so far, while for 156 complaints, the reports are yet to be updated. Notices have been issued in 93 cases after ground level verification of the violation. Of these, final speaking orders were issued in 64 instances, and special task forces were asked to carry out demolition in 24 cases. Actual demolitions were carried out only in seven cases so far. In 22 instances, the respondents got stay orders from the High Court, against demolition.

A majority of the complaints were received from the three zones which had been part of the erstwhile Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad — Khairatabad, Secunderabad and Charminar.

Of the 330 complaints, the highest number of 101 were received from Khairatabad zone, constituting Mehdipatnam, Karwan, Goshamahal, Khairatabad and Jubilee Hills circles. Of these circles, the highest number of infringements were reported from Goshamahal, at 37.

Secunderabad followed Khairatbad with 83 complaints, Musheerabad and Amberpet circles alone accounting for 50 of them. With 64 complaints, Charminar stood third.

These numbers are mere tip of the iceberg as the actual number of unauthorised structures with no complaint lodged are much higher in number, assert officials.

Efforts are on to equip the special task forces at zonal level sufficiently to take action immediately after demolition orders are received. Commissioner K.Ilambarithi is reviewing the complaints on a weekly basis.

During the Prajavani programme on Monday, Mr.Ilambarithi warned the Town Planning officials and staff that delay in addressing the complaints will not be tolerated. He asked them to provide the timeline of action in writing to the petitioners. Of the total 44 complaints received at the GHMC headquarters, 22 pertained to Town Planning, GHMC informed. Further, 86 more complaints were received at the programme conducted across the size zones of GHMC.