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Civic body demolishes illegal building of Jagan Mohan Reddy’s uncle

Tuesday, 31 December 2013 10:13 administrator
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Deccan Chronicle                31.12.2013

Civic body demolishes illegal building of Jagan Mohan Reddy’s uncle

Hyderabad: Following the directions of the AP High Court, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation on Monday demolished a building constructed by P. Ravindranath Reddy, the former mayor of Kadapa and uncle of YSRC chief Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy.

The court gave the directions following a petition filed against the construction.

The petition alleged that the building was built after encroaching the 500 sq. yard plot that belongs to the Women’s Cooperative Society on Jubilee Hills Road No. 2.

According to Neeraja Rao, the petitioner, the land was purchased by her father in 1990. A Montessori school was being run on the land for some time by their watchman on request.

However, when Neeraja Rao’s father passed away, the watchman refused to vacate the property.

When the Rao family moved to the session’s court, the judgement was in their favour.

“In 2010, we realised that the land had been encroached upon and a mansion was being constructed there. Though we approached the then collector, Naveen Mittal, and other officials, nothing worked out.”

The construction was done by P. Ravindranath. There was a series of inquiries by a committee set up by the then CM and chief secretary. Later, the issue moved to the HC.

Following the court’s directions, the GHMC started demolishing the building. The officials sought protection, which was given by the cops.

 

BBMP resolves to remove all illegal hoardings in City

Tuesday, 31 December 2013 10:11 administrator
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Deccan Herald                31.12.2013

BBMP resolves to remove all illegal hoardings in City

DH File Photo for representation

The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Council on Monday passed a resolution to remove all illegal hoardings in the City. The Palike, however, said it would not bear any expenses in this regard.

Corporators from all political parties opposed a resolution moved by Ashwath Narayan, the ruling party leader in the Council, to postpone a decision on illegal hoardings. They urged Mayor B S Satyanarayana to pass the resolution.

The Additional Commissioner of Finance, K Kiran, then told the Council that there was a direction from the State government not to renew 525 hoardings, which could thus be removed.

At this juncture, Satyanarayana suggested that an outside agency could remove the hoardings. Sunkenahalli Corporator P N Sadashiva, however, objected to the proposal, saying the Palike should not spend a dime on removing hoardings which were put up illegally in the first place.

The money should instead be collected from those who have erected them. “Are we blacklisting the advertisers for violating the norms? How are we going to collect the penalty from them,” he wondered.

As the debate moved on, Attiguppe Corporator K Doddanna claimed that as many as 2,000 illegal hoardings were illegal in the City, which also should be removed. Taking part in the debate, Nagapura Corporator S Harish cited the example of an advertiser seeking permission to set up 500 flowerpots on electricity poles but while doing so, he erected advertisement boards too.

A police complaint was filed against the advertiser in April 2013, and a case of cheating booked but the BBMP regularised the advertisements in November by collecting Rs 72 lakh.

Two hoardings in front of the BBMP’s West Zone office had been erected on a stormwater drain but the officials turned a blind eye, Harish alleged. He also claimed that the advertiser had sought permission in February 2013, but the application was not processed deliberately for four months so that it could be perceived as deemed permission.

The Mayor also sought an explanation from the West Zone commissioner but was unsatisfied by the reply. He then directed the BBMP Commissioner M Lakshminarayana to initiate action against the  official in question.

Lakshminarayana assured that penalty would be imposed and an undertaking sought from the defaulter firms not to repeat the act. Corporators, however, remained displeased. They insisted that illegal hoardings be removed. Accordingly, the resolution was passed.

Mayor Satyanarayana told the Council that a team of architectural students from California will study ways to improve the chaotic Richmond Circle. The students witnessed the proceedings of the meeting.

 

'Removal of Hoardings to be Outsourced'

Tuesday, 31 December 2013 07:38 administrator
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The New Indian Express               31.12.2013

'Removal of Hoardings to be Outsourced'

The BBMP will outsource the task of removing illegal advertisement hoardings across the city to private agencies, Corporation Commissioner M Lakshminarayana said.

On Monday, the subject of giving approval for calling of tenders to remove 525 illegal hoardings came up in the BBMP Council. Byrasandra ward Councillor Nagaraju said agencies that had put up these 525 flex boards had approached BBMP to regularise them. “In reality, there are more than 2,000 illegal hoardings across the city,” he said. Sunkenahalli ward councillor P N Sadashiva asked why should the Palike spend money on illegal hoardings that were put up by agencies.

Replying to this, Lakshminarayana said officials would identify all illegal hoardings and call for a tender to remove them. “We shall collect penalties from defaulters and utilise the amount for the tender. I shall issue an order to zonal commissioners to make provisions to remove these hoardings without causing additional financial burden to BBMP. They can take help of scrap dealers,” he said.

“Illegal hoardings have been erected at some BBMP schools and other properties. There are two hoardings at BBMP’s swimming pool building at Sadashivanagar,” said S Harish, former deputy mayor. “How can one put up these hoardings without the knowledge of our officials? BBMP officials are hand in glove with violators,” he alleged.

At the BBMP Council

  • A group of architecture students from California University, USA, attended the Council meeting. Mayor B S Sathyanarayana said they shall be asked to help design and develop Richmond Circle
  • Architect Naresh Venkatraman and theatre person Prakash Belwadi made a presentation on remodelling K R Market
  • Chief Conservator of Forest Brijesh Kumar said there are only 20 staff in BBMP’s forest cell to look after parks and trees, spread over 800 sqkm
 
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