INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Hyderabad: The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) is setting up its own task force wing to thwart unauthorised building
constructions in the city
The idea is also to counter the monopoly of the Enforcement, Vigilance and Disaster Management (EVDM) department on this count.Corporation
At times, the wing headed by an IPS officer bypassed the commissioner's instructions and acted independently
All in all, the EVDM has zero accountability vis-a-vis all enforcement activities including issuing of no-objection certificates for fire
safety.Though EVDM has nothing to do with deviations from building, it has been issuing notices to commercial establishments in the prime
stretches, asking for a copy of the sanctioned plan and proceedings, as also of the occupancy certificate, besides copies of trade licence,
Section 451 relates to inspection of buildings during the erection and alterations
Section 452 empowers the commissioner to issue notice in case a construction is done contrary to the provisions of the Act
Section 454 gives the commissioner the power for enforcement of provisions concerning buildings and works thereof.There are provisions
buildings under construction (Section 451) and action in case the work is carried out without permission or in ways contrary to the Act or
This can be done after giving the person/entity an opportunity to explain.Another important provision is the occupancy certificate
Everyone who completes the construction has to make an application to the commissioner for permission to occupy or use the building
commissioner to seal premises if it is noticed that there were unauthorised acts like construction or development of the premises
The commissioner can also get any building vacated (Section 462) and regulate future constructions in designated streets or localities
(Section 463).These powers need not be exercised by the commissioner himself
He can exercise the powers through his officers.Sources said that the EVDM wing, often without bringing such matters to the notice of the
commissioners when enforcement activities were taken up in their respective zones
In order to encourage young officers, the commissioners were according them additional powers, and these have been put to blatant misuse,
resulting in high level of corruption by the field staff
Though notices were issued, not even a single building has been demolished despite many of them being unauthorized constructions.It is
against this backdrop that the GHMC top brass held several closed-door meetings and decided to establish an independent task force wing and
decentralise the entity at the zonal level
The modalities of the independent task force wing are being worked out and will be specified in a couple of days
Lokesh Kumar and EVDM director Viswajit Kampati were unavailable for comment.
