HYDERABAD: Justice K Lakshman of the C High Court on Friday expressed serious concern over the legal validity of the Hyderabad Disaster Response and Assets Monitoring and Protection Agency (HYDRAA) and the manner in which it operates. The judge also expressed dismay over HYDRAA’s “selective approach” towards demolitions.
The court was hearing a writ petition filed by D Lakshmi, a resident of Nanakramguda in Hyderabad, who alleged that HYDRAA unlawfully demolished structures on her property in Sangareddy district without prior notice or legal orders.
Justice Lakshman directed the state government and its counsel to submit all relevant details concerning the establishment of HYDRAA, its duties and its legal standing and posted the matter to September 19 for further proceedings. HYDRAA was created via GO Ms 99, an executive order issued by the chief secretary, dated July 19, 2024.
Justice Lakshman pointed out that while HYDRAA was established through an executive order, it lacked statutory backing, a requirement for such bodies to function legally. The judge further noted that the impugned GO confers powers on HYDRAA that are otherwise vested in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, under the GHMC Act, which does not permit delegation of its statutory powers to any other authority.
The petitioner alleged that HYDRAA’s team unlawfully entered her property in Aliapur village and demolished structures without following due process. The counsel for the petitioner argued that HYDRAA’s establishment itself was illegal and demanded its dissolution, claiming that the body was functioning in violation of the very terms set out in the GO that created it.