Rains wash away LRS offer

CM wants officials to make sure illegal layouts are not approved

The TS government has put on hold the Layout Regularisation Scheme to check regularisation of illegal layouts on water bodies, tanks, lakes and nalas.

Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, who took a serious view of the flooding in Hyderabad during the last four days, is learnt to have directed officials not to process any LRS application in GHMC and HMDA limits till the government takes a final decision on how to proceed on the issue.

Regularisation of illegal buildings and layouts over the last few years was found to be the prime reason for the flooding in city.

The state government had announced Building Penalisation Scheme and LRS in November 2015 and had given time till February 2016 to submit applications.

While the High Court stayed BPS after some organisations challenged regularisation of illegal buildings, the flood situation forced TS government to halt the LRS process.

The government had received three lakh BPS applications and 1 lakh LRS applications in GHMC and HMDA limits.

The government had already ordered an ACB probe into allegations of GHMC and HMDA officials demanding bribes to process LRS applications and approve them, in violation of norms.

While the HMDA received 1.31 lakh LRS applications and 31,000 BPS applications, the GHMC received 1.31 lakh BPS applications and 68,000 LRS applications. The GHMC and HMDA officials had taken up verification of only LRS applications following the HC stay on BPS.

Municipal minister K.T. Rama Rao said, “The regularisation schemes implemented by previous governments in undivided AP already resulted in encroachment of nalas, tanks, lakes and other water bodies, which led to present pathetic situation in city. We don’t want a repeat of those mistakes. We want to check, double check each and every LRS application before approving it. Those layouts should not block any nalas or water bodies in the future. A strict set of guidelines will be issued for the purpose after consulting experts.”

Mr Rao said the government will begin a crackdown on illegal buildings and layouts in city soon after the rains abate to clear encroachments and nalas.

“We want everyone to cooperate with the government on this issue, irrespective of political affiliations or any other reasons to make this city free from flooding in the future. No one should support any illegal building or layouts for whatever reasons,” Mr Rao said.