Hyderabad: Taking serious notice of the collapse of a poor family’s tin shed house despite a court stay, the Telangana High Court directed the Panchayat Raj (PR) department staff of Nagar Kurnool district to restore the dilapidated house at their own expense. Pockets.
The court held the Panchayat Raj officials guilty of defying the stay order and the authorities are trying to show their dominance over the people by bulldozing the small shed of a poor couple who earn their livelihood by running a corner shop. The court has questioned whether the illegal construction of an influential person can be demolished by a single body.
High Court Judge T Madhavidevi has been hearing the petition filed by Katakam Mahesh and Nagalakshmi of Domalapenta Rural Municipality of Amrabad Mandal who had built a house in Domalapenta village years ago. Trade license to operate small friendly shops and they also pay property tax.
Panchayat Raj officials have issued a notice to remove the structure without reason. Challenging the same, the petitioners approached the High Court and the court passed an interim stay directing the authorities not to take any coercive action till further orders.
Meanwhile, the court has directed the department to submit the petition. Without filing a counter and pending interim injunction, the authorities demolished Mahesh and Nagalakshmi’s house.
The judge pulled up the district panchayat officer of Nagar Kurnool and proceeded to punish him for contempt. However, the government advocate of the Panchayat Raj Department, Sajia Parveen, said that the DPO was not aware of the work of the subordinate employees and said that they would restart the construction after giving the assurance of the Panchayat Secretary and others. Keeping that in mind, the court gave two weeks time to rebuild the destroyed structures.