Deccan Chronicle        31.12.2010

GHMC admits it cannot control illegal buildings

Dec. 30: The AP High Court on Thursday observed that the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation has failed to curb illegal construction within its limits. Justice Noushad Ali made this observation after the counsel for the GHMC submitted that the corporation did not have adequate staff to stop illegal construction and the government was not helping the corporation. The counsel said the civic body was not in a position to stop illegal constructions.

The judge was dealing with two petitions filed against the illegal constructions that are going on in various parts of twin cities. The judge while recording the submission of the counsel said, “If that is the stand taken, this court is bound to be observe that the GHMC has failed to implement the law as required by them.”

The judge pointed out, “Everyday a number of cases are being listed before this court complaining that illegal constructions are going on everywhere in the city, not only small buildings but also big complexes.”

The judge said, “This court observed that despite filing representations before the authorities concerned, no action is being taken. Hence this court is bound to observe that such inaction of the officers appears to be deliberate.”

In one petition, the judge granted stay on a construction undertaken by Nava Bharath Ventures on Road No. 14 of Banjara Hills and directed the GHMC to produce the records pertaining to the sanctioned plan of Nava Bharath and posted the case for hearing after four weeks.

Compromise on Nizam wealth

A division bench comprising Justice B. Seshasayana Reddy and Justice P. Durga Prasad on Thursday put an end to a 15-year-old legal battle among the legal heirs of late Nizam on sharing property worth `14 crore after they entered into a compromise on it.

About 130 legal heirs including children and grandchildren of the late Nizam filed a suit with regard to sharing the property in 1995 and later they filed an appeal in 2000 against the orders passed in the suit. However, they compromised and filed a memo of compromise before the bench and the bench recorded it and allowed them to share the property among themselves.

The Nizam had created corpus fund of nearly `200 crore and executed the settlement deed. Disputes arose on how this money should be shared with some of the sons and daughters who died issueless.

Input tax credit order upheld

A division bench comprising Justice V.V.S. Rao and Justice Ramesh Ranganathan on Thursday upheld the decision of the state in withdrawing the input tax credit to companies dealing with coal, naphtha and natural gas. The bench disposed of 59 writ petitions filed by Asian Peroxide Limited, Nellore, and others challenging the action of the state.