VIJAYAWADA: Continuing the demolition of unauthorised structures along the Krishna river flood bank (karakatta), the Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Development Authority (APCRDA) officials razed down a few structures built sans requisite permits at Saiva Kshetram in Tallayapalem of Thullur mandal on Thursday.
The Zonal Assistant Director of APCRDA Madhusudhan Rao, in the presence of revenue officials, supervised the removal of bathrooms and a structure used as a canteen by the organisers of Saiva Kshetram.
It maybe recalled that the APCRDA had started demolition of illegal structures with the dismantling of Praja Vedika (grievance cell) in the last week of June, citing that it was built without any approvals on the flood bank against the river conservation norms.
Subsequently, the authority also served notices to owners of several illegal structures along the flood bank and had given time to them to present their arguments. While a few owners such as Lingamaneni Ramesh, in whose guesthouse, in Undavalli, former Chief Minister and TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu is residing, moved court, the authority started demolition of other structures by removing an illegal ramp and an RCC structure in the premises of Pathuri Koteswara Rao in the last week of September.
APCRDA officials said that more demolitions will be done after assessing the responses of the owners, who were served with notices. The authority had identified about 29 illegal structures along the flood bank road.
Putting forth the arguments of the State in the matter of a petition filed by Lingamaneni Ramesh against the demolition of his guesthouse, in which former Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu is residing in Undavalli, Advocate General (AG) S Sriram requested the court to appoint a district judge to survey the house and give findings. The court, which heard the matter on Wednesday and Thursday, adjourned the case and posted it for further hearing to October 23.
The AG argued that if a judge surveys the area and gives a report, it would help in putting to rest the allegations of political vindictiveness. He added that a case of environmental protection ought not to be dealt with questions of technicality, and that illegal structures along the Krishna flood bank mock the law and its enforceability. He pointed out that the petitioner neither produced the permission claimed to be taken before constructing the structure, nor established any legality in the claims.