Warning GHMC authorities of “serious repercussions” if its orders over removal of encroachments on footpaths in city were not cleared, Telangana High Court on Wednesday directed them to file affidavits explaining steps taken on the matter.
The HC, expressing dissatisfaction over the inaction of the GHMC authorities, said they had not moved an inch over the directions issued by it nearly seven months ago. A bench of Chief Justice Hima Kohli and Justice B. Vijaysen Reddy, taking serious exception to the affidavit filed by GHMC standing counsel, said it was “absolutely vague”.
The bench was hearing a PIL petition seeking clearance of the illegal occupation and grabbing of sidewalks in the State capital. “What kind of an affidavit is this...are you serious...this is just an eyewash,” the CJ said. The bench said it hoped the authorities would present details of the length of pavements encroached by different persons and how much of that was cleared.
Instead of that, the authorities gave details of the lengths of the sidewalks in the capital. Replying to queries raised by the bench, the GHMC counsel said the authorities would inspect the city and clear the encroachments if the court gave an order. “Do not ask permission of the court on such matters. You have not done a single thing since the last order was passed,” the CJ said.
The GHMC counsel began explaining that entire staff of the GHMC was occupied with the vaccination work in the backdrop of COVID-19 pandemic . Stating that vaccination was the biggest task assigned to the GHMC employees, the lawyer sought time of two weeks to comply with the HC orders.
“You did not do it in seven months and now you say you will do it in two weeks...why did you do half-hearted exercise?,” the CJ sought to know from the counsel. Observing that the court was inclined to impose costs on the authorities for failing to follow the court orders, the bench gave a last opportunity of three weeks to them to explain steps taken to remove illegal occupation of sidewalks.
Each of the five zonal commissioners of GHMC should separately file affidavits with date-wise details of the removal of encroachments by the field officers, the bench ordered.
