Official denting HDMA’s mop up

Hyderabad: Oral instructions given by a top official has boomeranged on the civic body. The senior official had instructed officials of the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) not to accord building permission if the builder did not provide a 100-feet approach road in layouts that cover up to 15 acres, though there is no such requirement in the rule book.  Instructions were also given to give building permission only if 40 feet to 60 feet roads are provided in layouts covering five acres and above.

In a recent review meeting with realtors and builders, the official asked them to give the approach road as a “gift deed” to the concerned panchayat or municipality in HMDA limits. His earlier instructions had resulted in keeping some 200 files pending since August as the layouts did not meet the 100-feet road criteria.

According to sources in the HMDA, the official’s instructions have affected the revenue of the town planning wing. His instructions will result in a revenue loss of about Rs 400 crore during the current financial year.

Sources said that the oral instructions are in violation of Government Orders 168 and 33, requiring only 30 feet approach roads to major residential and non-residential projects. The real estate sector has been hit by these verbal instructions since the HMDA has put several building permissions temporarily on hold.

Sources also said the official had also required a sewage treatment plant and underground ducts for electricity cables to be provided by the builder, which further aggravated the issue, with builders keeping away after the review meeting mentioned above. The town planning department which generated Rs 515.12 crore revenue in the FY19, is falling short of Rs 250 crore in the current year’s target.