Deccan Chronicle

Action against illegal buildings

- H. KAMALAPATH­I RAO | DC

Ranga Reddy district panchayat raj officials have initiated action against illegal structures and layouts in 84 villages as per GO 111.

As per directions of the High Court issued last month and instructio­ns issued last year on illegal buildings and layouts in villages covered by the government order issued in 1996 for protecting Osmansagar and Himayatsag­ar lakes incharge district panchayat officer (DPO) deputy collector L. Ramadevi directed her staff to identify all illegal structures built in the last five years.

Five years back the officials had identified about 227 layouts and illegal structures in several mandals within 10 km of these lakes. Shamshabad topped the list with 141 illegal structures and lay- outs followed by Moinabad (69), Rajendrana­gar (7), Shankarpal­ly ( 4), Chevella (3) and Shabad (3).

During a field visit in the last four days district panchayat raj staff identified around 125 illegal layouts establishe­d in the last two years. Officials are sending notices to the owners of all illegal structures they have identified apart from demolishin­g buildings built after 2010.

In-charge DPO L. Ramadevi told DC that they have taken up demolition­s in 10 mandals. “We are focusing on structures constructe­d after 2010. We found that hundreds of applicatio­ns for ineligible structures were received under GO 58 & 59 for regularisa­tion,” she said.

She said the process is being continued. “Our staff is verifying illegal buildings and layouts on the field and the process will continue,” she said. Officials are identifyin­g the role of revenue and panchayat raj officials in the establishm­ent of illegal layouts and buildings. Ranga Reddy collector M. Ragunandha­n Rao had earlier issued show cause notices to erring staff in gram panchayats located in the IT corridor.

Villagers from the 84 panchayats covered by GO-111 are protesting against it and have asked the government to cancel it. Former Home minister P. Sabitha Reddy’s son P. Koushik Reddy has filed a PIL at the HC challengin­g the GO.

 ??  ?? Ranga Reddy district panchayat officials demolishin­g illegal buildings on Tuesday. —
Ranga Reddy district panchayat officials demolishin­g illegal buildings on Tuesday. —

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