“Several legal disputes in connection with unauthorised panchayat layouts have been observed as some of the owners have been submitting fake documents to encroach upon lands in an unauthorised manner”, said GHMC Commissioner, MT Krishna Babu. The commissioner has directed the municipal standing counsel and the town planning wing to initiate steps on these layouts to curb the encroachments and protect the corporation’s properties.

Speaking to reporters after the Prajavani programme on Monday, Krishna Babu said that the GHMC has initiated action against dilapidated buildings. As against the identified 654 buildings, about 361 have been demolished so far. For the remaining 293 buildings, notices have been issued to the owners for strengthening the buildings, failing which the GHMC will demolish the buildings by duly collecting the demolition charges from the building owners.

He said that most of the owners are providing information to the call centre on 155304, based on which the buildings are being inspected by the assistant city planner and the executive engineers concerned.

If any confusion arises regarding the strength and stability of the building, the GHMC seeks the services of a third party check-up like the JNTU and other organisations for cross-checking the structural stability.

To avoid frequent damages to roads, the GHMC has proposed to lay white topping roads (cc roads) from October this year. The GHMC is preparing the list of stretches where white toppings are to be laid.    

In regard to park encroachments, he said that they have taken up the construction of compound walls at open spaces to safeguard its properties. “Since the last three years, as many as 700 open spaces have been identified where compound walls have been constructed”, he said.

The GHMC has sanctioned `15 crore to take up the construction of compound walls on all the open spaces and parks. For the remaining open spaces, the corporation will construct compound walls too.