Representative image of a bulldozer being used to demolish illegal structures.
PTI File Photo
Hyderabad: Telangana governor Jishnu Dev Varma had approved an ordinance that gives more power to the controversial Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Monitoring and Protection Agency (HYDRA), an agency that has been demolishing illegal structures in and around Hyderabad.
The official gazette notification is expected to be out shortly.
Opposition parties have been accusing the Revanth Reddy government of demolishing houses built by middle- and lower-income families using bulldozers while simultaneously issuing notices to influential individuals, giving them time to vacate their homes. Meanwhile, they were approaching the appropriate courts.
The HYDRA ordinance that was approved by the governor will be placed before the assembly in the next session to make it an act, said sources in the government. Through this ordinance, the state government has amended several key Acts, including the Telangana Municipal Act, 2019, the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWS&SB) Act, 1989, and the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) Act, 2008, which gives HYDRA more power.
The ordinance now allows HYDRAA to inspect encroachments, issue notices, and oversee the removal of unauthorised occupations on government land, as per Section 374B of the GHMC Act, 1955. It also enables HYDRAA to impose penalties for unauthorised constructions.
With HYDRA's aggression, opposition parties began to point fingers at the agency's legal backing. Many Petitions were also filed against HYDRA in the courts. The government introduced a new ordinance to counter the opposition's argument and protect itself from potential legal ramifications. While the state cabinet that met last month had approved the ordinance and sent it to Raj Bhawan for the governor's approval ten days ago, it received a nod late on Tuesday. The governor is said to have sought some clarifications, which were provided by the government, after which the ordinance received approval from Raj Bhawan.
On July 19, the state government established HYDRA through GO MS 99 with various objectives, including protecting government assets such as lakes, ponds, canals, parks, government lands, and playgrounds to implement protective measures during natural disasters, among others.