Telangana High Court orders removal of unauthorised structures along GVM Road following a contempt petition. Officials given three weeks to report progress.
Team Clarion
HYDERABAD – The Telangana High Court has directed the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) and revenue officials to remove unauthorised constructions including religious structures along the city’s GVM Road to Musheerabad New Bakaram area. Notably, among the structures targeted for removal are a temple and a mosque.
The directive of the division bench of Justice Abhinand Kumar Shavili and Justice N. Rajeshwar Rao came on Tuesday as the court heard a contempt petition filed by K. Sridhar Reddy, representing the Shatabdi Nilaim Flats Owners Association. Reddy’s petition highlighted the persistent failure of officials to act upon previous court orders for the removal of illegal constructions along the specified stretch of road leading to Janapriya Abodes in Musheerabad.
This legal saga dates back to 2022 when Reddy initially filed a petition in the high court, prompting directives for the collector and GHMC officials to initiate the removal of unauthorised structures. However, despite these orders, the buildings remained untouched, leading Reddy to file a contempt petition.
Former Principal Secretary Municipal Administration Arvind Kumar, Commissioner GHMC Lokesh Kumar, and then Collector Hyderabad Amoy Kumar were implicated in the contempt petition. Though these officials have since been transferred, the court summoned current GHMC Commissioner Ronald Ross and Collector Anudeep Drishti to ensure compliance with the directives within four weeks.
Emphasising the impartiality of the law, the court underscored that unauthorised constructions, regardless of their religious nature, must be removed. The officials have been instructed to submit a report on the progress of the removal within three weeks, signaling a decisive step towards reclaiming public spaces from unauthorised encroachments.
