GHMC chief faces heat due to negligence of staff

Hyderabad: Negligence of lower rung officials and spate of irregularities have landed the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) in a soup. The corporation is currently fighting about 6,400 court cases and 152 public interest litigations (PILs). Its commissioner D.S. Lokesh Kumar is appearing in courts almost on a daily basis.

According to official sources, the corporation until very recently did not file counter petitions as a result of which courts asked for physical appearances.

As per official data, about 5,500 cases were pending under town planning wing, 300 under the health and sanitation wing, 400 revenue wing, 200 engineering wing and 300 in estates wing. There has been no progress in about five years as regards 15 cases from other wings.

GHMC sources said that several lawyers have not been appearing in court to argue on their behalf. They allege that some officials were hand-in-glove with petitioners and intentionally delaying the cases. According to sources, officials did not even hand over relevant documents to their respective lawyers.

About 4,000 cases are pending in rapidly developing areas like Kukatpally, Serilingampally, Banjara Hills, Jubilee Hills, Madhapur, Hitec city and several localities in the Old City.

The civic body after hiring legal practitioners in all 30 circles has been paying them Rs 15,000 on a monthly retainer basis. The corporation has been shelling down Rs 5,000 per case in the High Court, in which over 500 cases are pending.

This apart, in order to control unauthorised constructions in the initial stages and for speedy disposal of cases relating to buildings, the state government had in 2016 constituted a municipal building tribunal (MBT). However, the tribunal remains only on paper as the government has not appointed any chairperson or technical members.  

A senior Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MA&UD) official, requesting anonymity, told Deccan Chronicle that a functional MBT could help in disposing of a majority of cases as a lion's share is from the town planning wing. He admitted that the corporation chief is appearing in the courts on a regular basis due to the negligence of the lower rung officials.

"The constitution of MBT is almost approved and the government will announce it very shortly, '' he added.

Meanwhile, a city-based NGO filed a PIL in the High Court in 2019 for appointment of chairperson and technical members. The PIL was disposed of on April 27 as the government pleader assured the court that the tribunal would be constituted within four weeks Although, seven months have lapsed, there are no signs of making the tribunal a functional entity.