Hyderabad: As many as 46 villages surrounding Hyderabad, which have emerged as real estate hotbeds and are turning into municipalities soon, have come under the state government scanner.
The state government has appointed some special officers to track layout and building construction approvals being issued by gram panchayats in these villages, and submit fortnightly reports to the government.
The term of these panchayats will end on July 30 and the real estate lobby, knowing this, is in a rush to secure all approvals before they turn into municipalities, so as to avoid tighter approval norms and higher fees.
The gram panchayats, too, are racing to grant approvals before their term expires.
This is because gram panchayats offer comparatively easier norms and lower approval fees. There is also a provision for construction of buildings within seven years of the approvals being sanctioned.
However, complaints of builders bribing panchayat heads and officials to secure faster approvals have been received by the government, to the extent that Panchayati Raj minister Jupally Krishna Rao convened an emergency meeting with officials of surrounding villages and warned them of severe action in case of irregularities.
Strict instructions have been issued to collectors and district panchayat officials to hold the sarpanch, panchayat secretary and gram panchayat responsible for any lapses and any loss caused to the state exchequer, which should be recovered by using the Revenue Recovery Act.
