The Telangana high court on Wednesday ordered demolition of a commercial complex built in 600 sq yds meant for a park in the Indian Airlines Employees Housing Colony in Begumpet. The HC also directed the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) to develop a park in the designated area.
A bench of Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice NV Shravan Kumar pronounced this judgment after hearing two petitions filed by P Venkateswarlu and G Narsoji who had challenged the authorities’ sanction to build a commercial complex in the place meant for a park contrary to the sanctioned layout plan. The HC bench also annulled the municipal permission to build the commercial complex.
The state had acquired 12.5 acres for constructing houses for Indian Airlines employees at Begumpet and in February 1986 asked the AP Housing Board to build 159 houses.
According to the sanctioned layout, an open space of 600 sq yds was earmarked for a park, but two office-bearers of the colony association had sold away this area in 1996 to two individuals, P Ravi Kumar and MF Peter, who raised the commercial complex in the spot.
The bench asked these two individuals to demolish this complex at their own cost under the supervision of HMDA, housing board officials and demolition experts within three months.
The bench also brushed aside the argument of the commercial complex owners that the housing board had granted them a revised layout and allowed them to raise a building in the area.
Citing various judgments of the Supreme Court making it clear that there can be no excuse for abandoning orderly development of colonies and green spaces, the bench said that the competent authority in the current case was HMDA which had never approved the revised layouts.