Telangana HC pulls up HYDRAA for bypassing court orders

The High Court refered to a demolition of private compound wall carried out by the agency stating that neither the tahsildar nor the district collector had issued any such direction.

Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court on Thursday, July 30, pulled up the Hyderabad Disaster Response and Assets Protection Agency (HYDRAA) for bypassing its orders.

The High Court referred to the demolition of a private compound wall carried out by the agency, stating that neither the tahsildar nor the district collector had issued any such direction. Justice NV Shravan Kumar observed that the government authorities and agencies like HYDRAA were misleading the people.

The court also observed that agencies lacked coordination and took decisions unilaterally without following the law. Kumar observed this while hearing a petition filed by Pemmasani Sudha Rani, who alleged that revenue and HYDRAA officials demolished the structure on her property in Plot Number 9 in Survey Number 60 of Kondapur, without issuing notice or following due process of law. The judge had then summoned the tehsildar.

On July 30, the tehsildar informed the court that neither he nor his office had asked HYDRAA to go ahead with the demolition.

The court has directed all respondents to submit their responses within a week.

Acted on the request of revenue officials: HYDRAA

HYDRAA has responded to the case, stating that it acted only on information and a request from revenue officials. It also added that 19 acre of government land were fenced in survey number 59 within the limits specified by revenue officials.

The agency said it only demolished a temporary shed that was creating plastic waste and did not enter P Sudha Rani’s property in survey number 60. Sudha Rani has filed no complaint with HYDRAA, it said.