T'gana HC pulls up HYDRAA, Tahsildar over demolitions

Hyderabad, Sep 30 (PTI) The Telangana High Court on Monday came down heavily on state agency HYDRAA and a Tahsildar over carrying out demolitions on Sunday against its earlier order in Ameenpur mandal of Sangareddy district of the state.

While hearing a writ petition questioning demolition of a building in Kistareddypet village in Ameenpur mandal, Justice K Lakshman asked the HYDRAA Commissioner "If Charminar Tahsildar writes a letter to you to send men and machinery on a Sunday to demolish High Court building, will you send the men and machinery".

To this, the official said he won't.

The High Court expressed its unhappiness on the Tahsildar and HYDRAA Commissioner for not following its direction on demolition on Sundays and against its interim directions earlier to maintain status quo with regard to the demolition of the building.

The High Court had last week directed the Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA) Commissioner and the Tahsildar of Ameenpur mandal to appear before it either physically or virtually over the petition.

The Tahsildar appeared before the court in person and HYDRAA Commissioner virtually.

The court pulled up the Ameenpur Tahsildar with regard to the demolition of the structure on Sunday without waiting for the appeal period.

It also asked HYDRAA Commissioner on the demolitions on Sunday, to which the official said that they had not demolished the property and that they had merely provided men and machinery for removing unauthorised encroachments and structures in government land in the village of Ameenpur mandal at the request of the Tahsildar.

It is the revenue officials who had demolished the structure, and it was not mentioned that they will carry out demolition on Sunday (in the request letter of the Tahsildar), the HYDRAA Commissioner said.

The court posted the matter to October 15.

The HYDRAA has recently carried out demolition of several alleged illegal structures, including that of Telugu cinema superstar Nagarjuna, in the city. PTI VVK GDK VVK SA