Alleti dares State govt, HYDRA to demolish illegal constructions across Old City

Hyderabad: BJLP leader and Nirmal MLA Alleti Maheshwar Reddy dared the State government and the HYDRA to free the illegal encroachments of ponds in the Old City.

Addressing the media on Monday, he expressed doubt if the ongoing demolition drive of the HYDRA is meant to create a sensation to divert people's attention from delivering on its electoral promises.

“If the State government is sincere it should begin its demotion drive from the Old City rather than focusing on the common people,” he said.

He pointed out that HYDRA claimed to recover 49 acres of encroached lands within a week. Lakhs of acres of land have been encroached in the state. Will the state government be prepared to recover all those lands, he asked.

Terming questions were raised over the HYDRA demolition drive targeting some people, adding, he asked, why the HYDRA officials are not demolishing Owaisi's alleged encroachments of Salkam Chervu? Is the HYDRA commissioner not able to see the illegal buildings of the Owaisi or is it that he has no information about the same? The BJLP leader offered to the HYDRA commissioner to provide necessary information, and if needed to bring the number of JCBs needed for demolition from the neighbouring state.

The Nirmal MLA said that the Gurram and Jal Palli ponds in the Old City were encroached. Illegal constructions have come due to successive governments closing their eyes to the encroachments and constructions that took place in the past 20 years. "If the HYDRA and the State government have courage, they should start freeing encroachments of the water bodies and construction of the buildings over them in the Old City," he said.

Maheswhar Reddy asked what's the FTL of Gandipet and pointed out that the Water Board presented two different levels of FTL. It is 1,772 feet on one map and 1,790 on another map. Further, will the state government take action against illegal constructions in the past 20 years? Also, on the officials who gave permission for the illegal constructions? He demanded the state government to release a white paper on the alienated lands of the FTL and buffer zone.

The Nirmal MLA said that 185 out of 300 ponds in the GHMC area have been reportedly encroached upon. The irrigation officials report found that 8,718 constructions have come up in the FTL, and 5,343 constructions in the buffer zone. Will the state government be prepared to demolish all the 13,000 constructions, he asked. Besides,

14 lakh acres of assigned land, 6 lakh acres of forest and Endowment lands in the state have been alienated and are in the hands of others. Will the state government prepare to acquire all the encroached lands, he questioned.

Many ponds in Kookat Palli, Maisamma Pond, Melaram Pond in Bahadur Pura, Jedimetla Pond, Nacharam Pond, Saroor Nagar Pond and small pond in Ramantapur have been encroached. Acres of lands worth thousands of crores have been alienated, he said.

The BJP leader termed MIM MLA Akbaruddin's comments shameful. If he was really a representative of the people, he should have demolished the illegally constructed buildings voluntarily. He asked the State government if it "will demolish the buildings of the educational institutions of Owaisis reportedly constructed occupying the ponds in the Old City." The MIM MLA can take Wakq Board lands on lease to construct his college buildings, he suggested.