HYDERABAD: In a temporary relief to the petitioners, the High Court has directed the authorities of Rangareddy district to maintain status quo with regard to alleged demolition of pucca houses of the petitioners and dispossession of their respective plots in the name of construction of double bedroom flats at Meerpet (Lenin Nagar Colony) in Balapur mandal in the district.
Justice P Naveen Rao passed the interim order on a petition filed by Ramavath Sharada and 12 others seeking directions to the respondent district authorities to refrain from demolishing their houses for the purpose of raising 2BHK apartments for the homeless poor.
The petitioners’ counsel submitted that the families of 54 houses concerned did not fall under the category of situ slum-dwellers and were in possession of 20 guntas of land in area with all amenities and were paying property tax, and electricity and water bills. Apart from the subject area, a three-acre land still remained vacant without any pucca houses on which proposed two-bedroom apartments can be raised. The petitioners did not, in any way, obstruct the proposed constructions in three-acre area, he added. The judge directed authorities to maintain status quo for two weeks. While adjourning the case by two weeks, he directed the respondent authorities to file counter affidavits.