Hyderabad: The Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) is streamlining the process of taking action against unauthorised buildings. All steps right from the initial issuing of notice to razing the building will be documented leaving no scope for negligence, corruption or delaying tactics. The HMDA is preparing a software for this. Details of unauthorised buildings will be entered in the HMDA’s computer system and computer generated notices will be issued. Until now only manual notices were issued to violators.
Giving details, HMDA commissioner T. Chiranjeevulu said they had decided to overhaul the process to avoid legal hassles and to ensure transparency. “After serving notice, action will be taken by the Gram Panchayat concerned within 30 days. If no action is taken, a second notice will be served and HMDA staffers will raze the illegal building. All this would be recorded in the computer system so that violators will not be able to escape,” he said.
Now, even though notices are being issued panchayat staffers are not following it up due to political pressure and is also engaging in corruption by colluding with violators. Section 55 (2) of the HMDA Act gives it authority to take action against unauthorised buildings, if the local Gram Panchayat does not act, Mr Chiranjeevulu said. He also said the demolition drive witnessed a temporary break as planning staff were busy with LRS clearances.
Special team to check illegal buildings soon
The HMDA will constitute a special team comprising vigilance and planning staffers to identify the illegal buildings that are coming up on city’s outskirts flouting rules. Commissioner T. Chiranjeevulu said the team would go for physical inspection in different Panchayats and capture images of unauthorised structures. The information would be passed on to higher officials and later notices would be served after entering the data into the computer system. Until now, HMDA used to act on complaints from different sources that approached the urban body with information about illegal buildings.
