SANGAREDDY: Residents of Ameenpur are seething with anger at the demolitions carried out by HYDRAA, questioning the agency how it could pull down their buildings for which clearances were given by the authorities themselves.
People wonder why the government is acting post-haste in demolishing the houses as though those who constructed them were criminals. They say that they were not at fault since all the clearances were given by the officials.
“They (authorities) approved our layouts, issued permission for constructions, registered our property, gave power and water connections. How can they now say the buildings are illegal?” a victim asked.
Those who lost their houses say that many of them had come from various districts like Karimnagar or far-off places like Odisha and Tamil Nadu and constructed houses here.
“Since Sunday morning till late into the night, the authorities relentlessly demolished 16 villas in Patelguda and three apartments in Kistareddypet under Ameenpur Municipal limits with vengeance. The officials and the people’s representatives should be held accountable as it was the government which gave all the clearances,” Satyanarayana, one of the victims, said.
He has migrated from Tamil Nadu and settled here. He spent about Rs 70 lakh to build his house. Satyanarayana performed “griha pravesham” (housewarming ceremony) only last week and it’s now in shambles. “Even the mango leaves we had tied to our house for the housewarming ceremony were still fresh and intact,” he said.
‘Officials hand in glove with contractors’
Sivaram from Patelguda questioned whether it was right for the officials to demolish their houses long after the officials had given clearances, claiming that they came up on government land. “We are not responsible if the officials worked hand in glove with the contractors. Owning a home is a lifetime dream for everyone. It materialises after going through several hardships,” he said.
The victims are demanding that the properties of officials who gave permission and those of the contractors who built the houses should be seized.”We have to be compensated for our loss,” he added.
They also demanded that since it is the government that has pulled down their houses, it should take the responsibility of getting the bank loans written off. They are asking the government why the Revenue department officials have not written to the sub-registrar not to register the properties. They recall the sub-registrar registering the properties just two days before its demolition.
Vamshi, another victim, said: “We purchase a flat or house based on the clearances given by the government. The banks too sanction loans based on them. If the government is really sincere, it should confiscate the properties of the officials and compensate us for our loss.”
Another victim Koteseswara Rao said: “For the last two years, constructions have been going on in Ameenpur. No Revenue or Panchayat department official came to the site. They should have stopped the work if it was illegal but they did not.”
He added:”I bought land and took a loan of Rs 86 lakh from the bank to own a house. But the authorities have razed my house.”
‘Why are officials not regularising lands?’
Venkat Rao, another victim, said that he purchased a plot which was shown in Survey No. 6. “But the officials, saying that the plot that I own now is in Survey No. 12 which is government land, demolished it.”
He said: “If it is government land, then what prevents the officials from regularising it? Now the houses in which we had invested crores of rupees are lying in ruins. He questioned what the government had achieved by doing all this? We have paid Rs 3 to Rs 5 lakh for registration of our plot. The village panchayat officials gave permission for the construction, roads had been laid in our colony, street lamps have been erected, tap connections were given and when all the facilities are provided, the HYDRAA comes and razes the building. Is it fair?” he asked.
Another victim Shiva Reddy said that at least a board should have been put up saying that it is government land. “Had they set up one such board, we would not have purchased it all. Notices were issued on Saturday and the buildings were demolished on Sunday,” he said.
Ameenpur tahsildar Radha said that the government had asked them to submit a report on the houses and structures that have come up in FTL and buffer zones of lakes, nalas and public places, mentioning clearly whether they were legal or illegal structures. “If they come under the illegal structures category, they would be pulled down,” she said.
Accordingly, the illegal constructions in Survey No. 12 were demolished with the help of HYDRAA.
Municipal Commissioner Jyothi Reddy said that Patelguda village had recently merged into the Ameepur municipality and that the municipality had nothing to do with clearances issued by the previous panchayat.