HYDERABAD: Following the collapse of an under construction building, belonging to Film Nagar Cultural Centre (FNCC) at Jubilee Hills here on Sunday, in which two persons died and 10 received injuries, GHMC commissioner B Janardhan Reddy suspended two town planners on Monday.
The suspended officials include Assistant City Planner (ACP) Shekhar Reddy and section officer Malleshwar of Circle 10 B. They were suspended for dereliction of duty.
The other two existing buildings situated near the collapsed portico have been sealed by the corporation.
Mayor Bonthu Rammohan along with the commissioner and chief city planner Devender Reddy said that the GHMC has registered a complaint with Banjara Hills police to initiate criminal action against the management of FNCC, contractor Sukhchand and structural engineer.
The Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Hyderabad (JNTUH) was asked to give a report on the reasons for collapse of the portico and also on condition of the existing building. Further action will be taken after receiving the report from JNTU, the commissioner said.
Devender Reddy said that the two existing FNCC buildings are also unauthorised. GHMC has accorded permission on January 29, 1996 for construction of ground plus two floors for a cultural centre with a builtup area of 1,270 sq mts. After obtaining sanction they constructed the building in deviation of the sanctioned plan and constructed ground plus three upper floors with a built up area of 6,188 sq mts
The Film Nagar Club had submitted application under Building Penalisation Scheme (BPS) in 2008 for penalisation, regularisation of the deviations and unauthorised constructions.
The BPS application could not be considered as the applicant has not paid full penal amount and NOC from Fire Services department.
Further, in September 2014, FNCC proceeded with the construction work without any prior permission from the GHMC and also in violation of the building rules in force. A notice under Section 452 of HMC Act was slapped on June 12, 2014 and another notice under Section 636 of HMC Act on September 8, 2014.
The FNCC filed a case in the City Civil Court against the GHMC and obtained injunction order. GHMC filed counter affidavit for vacation of injunction orders and the matter is still pending in the City Civil Court, Devender said.
The slab for the portico was laid on the intervening night of July 23-24. It collapsed resulting in the death of 2 persons and injuring 10 persons.
An ex gratia was announced for the kin of the deceased under various schemes - ` 50,000 under Apathbandhu Pathakam, GHMC Relief (`2 lakh), relief announced by Union minister for labour Bandaru Dattatreya (` 5 lakh), Film Nagar Club (`5 lakh) and a job in the FNCC club to one of the family members of the deceased person.