‘Money’konda civic body turns blind eye to encroachments

Rangareddy: Following a crackdown against unauthorised structures built in the buffer zone of a lake in the Neknampur area of Gandipet mandal on Thursday, a flutter has been created among some wayward builders in the Manikonda municipality.

It is said the builders are quite worried over the way the Irrigation and Revenue officials, once considered to be working completely in thrall of them, are wielding the axe without giving a hoot to their political influence.

Manikonda, a fastest growing municipality on the southern part of the city, is said to have been turned into a hotbed of encroachments of lakes, government lands and parks, besides town planning violations in a span of four years.

Known as a well developed abode of families mainly working in multinational and IT companies with high-rise buildings, the civic body came into being in 2019.

Spread over 15.22 km the municipality is home to a population estimated at 1.25 lakh in 36,619 households. However, the worrisome scenario speaks about encroachments of water bodies, besides Town Planning violations. It also provides a deep insight into an alleged nexus between officials, leaders and some wayward builders who, people say, are taking the common man and taxpayers for a ride.

Following the change of government, officials, especially the Revenue and Irrigation departments, have braced up to pull teeth out of fragile system influenced by politicians and rolling out measures against encroachments, unauthorized structures and layouts on government lands and water bodies, especially in Ranga Reddy district.

On Thursday the officials had demolished several structures at Neknampur village. They said the constructions were within the buffer zone of the Neknampur Lake. At least five structures and a compound wall have been pulled down.

“The structures in survey nos 53 and 54 were demolished for the second time during the last three years. Last time, the authorities had pulled down the structures in 2021 and returned on Thursday to act again. Some structures were granted permissions by the Manikonda municipality led by chairman Kasturi Narendar in 2021,” said Padma Rao, councillor of ward 7.

Over the years, he said, encroachments of government lands and water bodies besides acquiring illegal permissions without mortgage and requisite documents have increased in the municipal limits.

“Unfortunately, the Town Planning wing has a history of most corrupt officials (TPOs). Recently TPO Rakesh was transferred after authorities found him involved in several misdeeds, including granting permissions without mortgage and other requisite documents. In some cases, permissions were granted even on receipt of notarised documents,” Rao explained.

However, the local people disapproved of the action taken by authorities on Thursday and likened their move as mere eyewash to save their own skin.

Said K Sharath, a local resident,“Permissions without mortgage, construction of extra floors with fewer approvals and unauthorised structures became a new norm in Manikonda. Thanks to tacit relationship between politicians and officials of the Town Planning wing led to diminishing people’s faith in the municipal functioning.”