The New Indian Express 08.02.2010
Civic body is stymied by court stays, political
Senior GHMC officials told Express there were about 5.5 lakh to 6 lakh such buildings in Hyderabad.
Even as the GHMC wants to take stringest action against building rules violators they are not able to do so due to constant interventions by ministers, MPs and MLAs.
There have even been several occasions on which Town Planning staff have been badly beaten up and chased by the goondas of the elected representives.
Other stumbling blocks, it is learnt, are stay orders from lower courts.
Whenever the GHMC Town Planning Wing issues notices to the owners against unauthorised constructions, they come up flaunting these orders.
Officials point out that though the High Court has passed an order restraining the lower courts against giving stay orders relating to building construction, of late, they had been doing the contrary.
Senior staff Town Planning of GHMC particularly lower rung staff play a pivotal role in allowing the illegal building to raise which was admitted by the senior officials.
From Assistant City Planner to Munshi in Circles offices, they are aware of where unauthorised constructions are going on. Instead of tacking action, they collect huge money from the owners or the builders and allow them to blantantly construct the building by throwing the rules to wind.
The senior officials admitted that lower staff of Town Planning has damaged the image of GHMC, because of them the entire GHMC is getting bad image. Even transferring them from circle to another is not serving purpose wherever, they are going they are resorting to corrupt practices.
They also admitted that several people misused the Building Regularisation Scheme. When the BRS scheme was in vogue, several people started constructing illegal structures and applied in BRS for regularisation.
The Town Planning wing is highly under staffed and there is a urgent to fill up the vacancies for proper monitoring and effective enforcement.
