HYDERABAD: Taking a serious view of the non-filing of a report by the GHMC authorities on the steps taken for removing the encroachments from footpaths in the city, a division bench of the High Court on Tuesday directed corporation commissioner B Janardhan Reddy to appear before it on next Tuesday for giving an explanation.
The bench of acting chief justice Ramesh Ranganathan and justice G Shyam Prasad was dealing with a PIL filed by Laxminivas Agarwal, a citizen, complaining about encroachment of footpaths, particularly in the Siddiambar Bazar area, by shop-keepers and forcing the people to walk on the main road endangering their lives. Pointing out the inaction of the GHMC authorities on the issue, he sought court directions for removal of such encroachments.
The court would initiate action against the encroachers if the officials admitted that they were not in a position to act against the errant shop owners. It appeared that the shop-keepers felt that the pavements and footpaths were meant for dumping their material and thereby forcing the pedestrians to suffer. The authorities’ failure to take action made the shop-keepers feel that they were above the law, it remarked.While adjourning the case, the bench directed the civic authorities to take action based on the photographs.