HYDERABAD: Expressing displeasure with the authorities concerned for failure to prevent illegal constructions, a division bench of the High Court on Thursday granted stay on all the alleged illegal construction activity by a real estate company, Pride India Builders, on a 150-acre government land at Devatalagutta, near Balapur, in Rangareddy district. “No construction activity and no erection of any structures or statues in the area shall be permitted until further orders,” it said.
The bench passed the interim order on a PIL filed by Devatalagutta Parirakshana Samiti, represented by its vice-president N Ram Reddy, challenging the failure of the officials to prevent private parties from making constructions in the land. The petitioner alleged that Pride India Builders Ltd had been constructing villas by demolishing temples and other structures in the subject land.
On March 30, the bench appointed a committee headed by the HC registrar (judicial) and HMDA and revenue officials to go into the alleged illegal constructions on the said land and asked it to submit a report to the court.
On Thursday, the committee submitted its report, along with photographs, confirming large-scale illegal structures included villas on the said government land. The counsel for HMDA also confirmed the said irregularities by the respondent real estate firm. Besides, the counsel for Badangpet Nagar Panchayat told that the builders had not taken prior permissions from them.
Petitioner’s counsel PSP Suresh Kumar submitted that all structures were built without any permissions. About 450 individuals, who purchased villas and plots, applied for regularisation.
When the counsel for Pride India sought to refute the contentions of the petitioner and the committee report, the bench asked the company to file its objections in writing. After perusing the report, the bench pointed out that the photographs indicated that the structures had not come up overnight and the construction activities had been going on for quite a long time.
“How these constructions were permitted, how the plots were allowed to be sold and what the state was doing are a matter of concern,” the bench observed and directed authorities to stop constructions being built until further orders. Besides, no construction or structures shall be regularised till further orders. It also directed the respondent company not to demolish any structures. The bench posted the matter to first week of June.