HYDERABAD: Close on the heels of being pulled up for non-implementation of an order related to Animal Husbandry Employees’ Cooperative House Building Society, Visakhapatnam collector Pravin Kumar has been summoned by Hyderabad High Court again in a contempt case.
Taking a serious view of ‘wilful disobedience of the court order’, Justice P Naveen Rao on Friday directed Pravin Kumar to appear before the court and give explanation for his decision in the capacity of Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) commissioner to demolish 14 huts in Bharat Nagar slum in Vizag.
The Judge admitted the contempt petition filed by Molli Shanthamma and 12 others who alleged wilful disobedience of the court order. Before assuming the office of the collector, Pravin Kumar had served as the commissioner of GVMC.
Petitioners’ counsel KV Satya Rama Chandra Rao alleged that the GVMC officials, in collusion with some flat owners, took the decision to demolish the huts at Bharat Nagar slum.
“The officials cited the existence of a 30-feet road where the huts were built. There was no possibility of such a road as the petitioners had been living in the area for the last four decades. It was an invention of the officials as they were acting at the behest of some flat owners,” he said.
After the slum dwellers moved the High Court, challenging the action of the officials, the court had directed the GVMC commissioner to survey the area and find out whether the 30-feet road in question existed. “If the road existed, then only the officials could go ahead with the eviction. Otherwise, the slum dwellers should not be disturbed,” the court had said.
However, the GVMC commissioner allowed the demolition without ordering any survey. Besides, there was no response to the representation given by M Lakshmi, president for the Slum Dwellers Association, on the issue, Satya Rama Chandra Rao told the court on Friday. Not satisfied with the contents of the counter affidavit filed by the GVMC, Justice Naveen Rao issued notice to Pravin Kumar to appear before the court.