HYDERABAD: A division bench of the Telangana High Court, on Wednesday, permitted the GHMC to go ahead with its steel bridge construction and road-widening work at Punjagutta graveyard. It directed the civic body to take down the hoardings in the area in the presence of the respective marketing and advertising companies.
The bench permitted the petitioners — marketing and advertising companies — to make representations to the GHMC stating their willingness to shift the hoardings situated in the subject area to another spot. The corporation has been asked to consider their representation after giving them an opportunity of hearing. The petitioners are at liberty to challenge if any adverse orders are passed by the GHMC, the bench noted.
The bench, comprising of Chief Justice Raghvendra Singh Chauhan and Justice A Abhishek Reddy, passed this interim order via video conferencing on Wednesday in appeals filed by the GHMC challenging the order of a single judge on the issue.
On April 15 this year, the single judge had granted interim stay for six weeks on the petitions filed by some marketing and advertising companies, challenging the notices issued by the GHMC to remove advertisement hoardings over the Panjagutta graveyard as they had become an impediment for the corporation in taking up alignment works for the construction of a steel bridge. Aggrieved with the same, the GHMC filed an appeal before the division bench.
When appeals came up for hearing, State Advocate General BS Prasad, appearing for GHMC, submitted that since the lockdown was in place, it was easier for the GHMC to go along with the road widening works as there was no traffic. The bench directed GHMC to make every effort not to damage the hoardings and keep them in their custody. The bench also directed the corporation to inform the petitioners the date and time of the dismantling.