Hyderabad: Dr Cars, one of the largest used-car dealers, operating since 2006 on NTR Marg, has been told to vacate the three-acre premises within 48 hours, starting Saturday night. The High Court had earlier in the day dismissed a petition that Dr Cars founder-director Viren Chowdary had filed a plea against a notice issued by the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority to move out, and told him to comply.
The dealership was paying a rent of Rs 4.5 lakh to the HMDA for the three acres on a prime location like Necklace Road, which would fetch a higher sum. The HMDA’s Buddha Purnima Wing that owns the land and governs activities around Hussainsagar, had leased out the land adjacent to NTR Garden to Mr Chowdary, a relative of industrialist-filmmaker L.V. Prasad whose family runs the Imax complex, in 2006 for two years.
The dealer sought an extension in 2011 but was told by the HMDA to vacate the premises. Dr Cars approached the High Court for a stay. The court ordered the company to clear its dues with the HMDA. The HMDA officer on special duty told this newspaper, “The petition has been dismissed by the HC. The HMDA has given the dealer 48 hours to vacate the premises. Owners of cars parked at the dealership are requested to drive them away or else the HMDA will seize them.”
The earlier Congress government wanted to construct a memorial for the then Chief Minister Y.S. Rajashekhar Reddy at the site. Nothing came of this and a fresh proposal was submitted to locate the Dr B.R. Ambedkar Memorial here by the TRS government.
