Hyderabad: The Hyderabad Disaster Response and Assets Protection Agency (HYDRAA) on Tuesday, May 6 demolished encroachments in Gachibowli.
The agency demolished unauthorised constructions in the layout of Fertilizers Corporation of India Employees Cooperative Housing Society near the Sandhya Convention area. The demolitions were carried out based on the complaints regarding encroachment of roads and park, in addition to the plots owned by the society members.
Plot owners complained that buildings were constructed in such a way that their plots are no longer visible. Along with the Sandhya Convention mini hall, kitchens and restrooms were also demolished by the authorities.
HYDRAA also demolished a G+2 tin structure which encroached the layout. Videos on social media showed a bulldozer demolishing the structure.
According to HYDRAA officials, in 1980s, layouts were made with 162 plots in 20 acres of land overlooking the Gachibowli main road in Serilingampally mandal of Rangareddy district.
In the recent times, HYDRAA has received several complaints from the plot owners that a person named Sridhar Rao had encroached upon their plots which were located adjacent to his convention centre, and erased the boundaries of the plots as well.
The victims complained that when they tried to question, they were attacked by Sridhar Rao’s henchmen, and some of the victims have also committed suicide after losing their plots.
HYDRAA officials have informed that there were more than 30 cases filed by the victims against Sridhar Rao, in addition to 5 cases filed against him on his convention centre’s land.
After the formation of HYDRAA, the victims gathered courage to lodge complaints against him, and as a result, HYDRAA began investigating Sridhar Rao’s encroachments not only in that location, but also at other places.
HYDRAA officials found that Sridhar Rao erased the boundaries of the plots which were bought with the hard earned money of the victims, and then constructed illegal structures without any permissions.
On the orders of HYDRAA commissioner AV Ranganath, officials demolished the boundary wall and the illegal structures built within its premises on Tuesday.
Not only from the city, but also from abroad HYDRAA started receiving complaints from the victims of Sridhar Rao’s land grabbing, that without their consent he has made agreements and started constructions in their layouts.
Complaints kept pouring in through emails, mails and video messages.
Having gathered courage against Sridhar Rao, a woman from Delhi sent a video message to HYDRAA alleging that her husband died by suicide after Sridhar Rao’s henchmen told him that his plot was not there in the layout.
Continuing it’s demolition drive of illegal encroachments during the day, HYDRAA has also reclaimed 15 acres of government land that was encroached in survey number 354 of Gajula Ramaram village in Quthbullapur mandal in Rangareddy district.
According to HYDRAA officials, among the encroachers was KL University which had encroached upon 5 acres of the total 15-acre land which was supposed to be used for building Rajiv Swagruha affordable houses for the poor and the middle-class.
As the construction of those buildings couldn’t take place, the local leaders set their sight on that land. They built boundary walls and constructed sheds as per their whims and fancy. When the locals complained to HYDRAA about the encroachments, the officials made ground inspections and conducted an inquiry, after which they submitted their report to HYDRAA commissioner AV Ranganath.
Ranganath, who also inspected the site, ordered the officials to demolish the encroachments and place display boards at the site, informing that the land belongs to the state government.
The HYDRAA officials not only removed the encroachments on Tuesday, but also fenced the area and placed the boards claiming that the land was reclaimed and was being protected by HYDRAA.
On Tuesday, HYDRAA officials also demolished illegal structures on the main roads at the Indira Society Colony. HYDRAA prevented land grabbers from encroaching the roads and selling them as layouts for plots.
