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HC refuses to stay proposed demolition of KTR farmhouse, but says follow the rules
The Telangana high court denied a stay on demolishing K T Rama Rao's leased farmhouse built in a catchment area. KTR supports the demolition if deemed illegal.
Hyderabad The Telangana high court on Wednesday refused to grant stay on the demolition of the farmhouse of Bharat Rashtra Samithi working president and former minister K T Rama Rao at Janwada village on the outskirts of Hyderabad on the ground that it was built in the catchment area of Osman Sagar reservoir on Musi river, people familiar with the matter said.
KTR later claimed that he did not own any structure at Janwada, but he had taken the farmhouse on lease from his friend Badvelu Pradeep Reddy, a realtor. “If it is an illegal construction, I don’t mind if the authorities demolish it and I shall convince my friend in this regard,” he said.
The demolitions of illegal structures built on lake beds and catchment areas of water bodies are being carried out by Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA), a separate wing created by the Congress government headed by chief minister A Revanth Reddy in July.
On Wednesday, Pradeep Reddy moved the state high court seeking a direction to the HYDRAA authorities not to demolish the farmhouse at Janwada. The high court, while refusing to pass any orders in this direction, asked the authorities to follow the rules in carrying out their job without resorting to indiscriminate demolitions.
He argued that his farmhouse was being falsely linked to a politician and expressed concern that the government might demolish it with ulterior motives. He made the HYDRAA commissioner a respondent in his petition.
It asked the HYDRAA authorities to take into account all the relevant documents related to the farmhouse, including municipal permission and building approvals, before taking any further steps.
Reacting on the court’s direction, KTR said he had no objection for the demolition of the farmhouse, if it was within the limits of full tank level of the reservoir or even the buffer zone.
“But at the same time, the government should also take up demolition of similar structures built by the Congress leaders, ministers and MLAs in the buffer zone of Osman Sagar reservoir or other water bodies,” he said.
He alleged that several ministers and even Revanth Reddy had constructed houses against the norms. “I shall show all of them to the authorities and the media. Let the authorities demolish all these structures,” KTR said.
