Heavy rains lashed Hyderabad and entire Telangana virtually drowning the capital city. This brought shame to the state of Telangna and politicians cutting across party lines which boasted that they developed Hyderabad and put the city on international radar.
What surprised many was when rains started, KTR repeatedly warned GHMC officials to improve the condition of the roads. However officials didnot care the warnings of KTR and potholes turned into pitholes and roads caved in.
Many experts felt that Hyderabad was inundated due to illegal constructions and encroachments and recently after the rain fury, CM KCR ordered GHMC officials to demolish all structures ruthlessly. However it is comingout that while officials are demolishing illegal structures, in some areas they are facing pressure from political leaders.
They are the same leaders who questioned Government on illegal structures and when action started they interfered and halted the demolition drive. It is comingout that corruption is rampant in GHMC and GHMC is the top three corrupt organisations in the state.
GHMC corporators, who get a salary of Rs 6,000 per month, make at least Rs 5 crore by the end of their five-year tenure. Former standing council revealed shocking information saying “It is the duty of building inspectors to inspect and identify illegal structures and bring them down, which they seldom do. In a parallel set up, corporators appoint private agents who identify the upcoming structures. They (the corporators) fix two different rates — for those with permission and those without permission — and collect “protection money” from those building unauthorised structures. Whenever Town Planning officials try to demolish the structures, they prevent them. They earn at least `5 crore during their tenure,”
Even after rain fury, TRS corporator from Moosapet shocked all by shamelessly stalling the demolition drive stating “I went in support of a poor man constructing an extra floor on his ground-plus-two building in a posh locality.” Another corporator T.Shravan Kumar said “Municipal minister K.T. Rama Rao has ordered the demolition of constructions occupying nalas and tanks.But the officials are demolishing houses in residential localities. I am a corporator of Moosapet, this incident happened at Balajinagar area. Mr Srinivas, who runs Manasa Diagnostic Centre, came to me and asked for help.He is a poor man. His house is not anywhere near a nala. He has permission for G-plus-two on his 110 square yard land. He had constructed an extra third floor in Anjayenagar Nagar layout done by Irrigation employees, which municipal officials are demolishing.”
People are furious with these attitude. Town planning officials are not filing any cases against politicians using “criminal force” against demolition and removal of encroachments. Even now illegal constructions and colonies are left untouched. Many like Nadeem Colony, Nizam Colony and many others that are encroaching on nala and lake lands are left untouched. GHMC sources revealed “Colonies will not be touched, but the edge of the nalas touching the colonies will be widened and maintained. So far the zonal heads have not listed these colonies in the demolition list. The GHMC has not yet decided to demolish huge structures that are encroaching.”
Many of the areas occupied are part of the tank foreshore and there is no approved layout from HUDA for the entire area or there is permission from GHMC.Speculation is on that the demolition drive will be sustained or will it be dropped midway like the one on illegal constructions which happened earlier in Ayyappa Society, Hafizpet, Gurukul.
Some like Captain J.Ramarao says “It is a political gimmick that will run for a few days. Why have they been sitting on the Kirloskar Committee report?” He revealed “Demolition is the need of the hour, the department knows that if these encroachments are not removed, it will damage the city in future. There is no illegal structure that has not been built without the knowledge of GHMC. Since the recent floods have raised the voices of many, these drives are only to stop bad mouthing about the government,”
