HYDERABAD: Taking a serious view of official failure to prevent unauthorised construction of a temple in a public park at Ameenpur, a division bench of Telangana High Court on Friday directed the principal secretaries to Municipal Administration and Urban Development and Panchayat Raj and Rural Development, Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) Commissioner and others concerned to appear before it on February 26.
The bench suggested to the temple committee concerned either to demolish the illegal construction or to pay Rs 5 crore. The bench comprising Chief Justice Raghvendra Singh Chauhan and Justice A Abhishek Reddy was passing this order in the PIL filed in the year 2018 by Human Rights and Consumer Protection Cell Trust, represented by its chairman Thakur Rajkumar Singh.
The petitioner complained that the authorities concerned had not taken any action against the Madhavapuri Hills Devalaya Committee, represented by its chairman G Hanumappa, though the latter had constructed temple and installed an idol by grabbing park space, admeasuring 9,866 square yards of land known as ‘Rock Garden’ in Madhavapuri Hills.
During the course of hearing, the bench expressed its displeasure at the authorities concerned for being mute spectators when unauthorised constructions were taking place in the name of God.
What would the situation be if temples are built for each of the three crore Gods? Today, a temple was built in a park space and there will be no vacant places if proposals are made tomorrow for construction of mosques, churches and religious structures, the bench observed.
On an earlier occasion, the bench had termed the temple as an illegal construction. It had asked the authorities concerned as to why no action was taken on a complaint lodged in 2017. Mere issuance of notices was not sufficient. As per Supreme Court directions, even multi-storeyed buildings without required permissions can be demolished, the bench reminded.
The government counsel said a police complaint had been lodged and notices were issued. No further steps could be taken as the issue was sensitive in nature, he added.The counsel for the temple committee said they had no personal interest in the construction and would not object if the temple was taken over by the government.
Reacting to these submissions, the HC bench said that the unauthorised construction amounted to land grabbing. Everyone has to follow the rule of the rule, the bench said. The matter has been posted to February 26.
Bench expresses displeasure at authorities
During the course of hearing, the bench expressed its displeasure at the authorities concerned for being mute spectators when unauthorised constructions were taking place in the name of God. What would the situation be if temples are built for each of the three crore Gods? Today, a temple was built in a park space and there will be no vacant places if proposals are made tomorrow for construction of mosques, churches and religious structures, the bench comprising Chief Justice Raghvendra Singh Chauhan and Justice A Abhishek Reddy observed