GHMC sends notice on illegal construction, BJP leader converts it into party office

Source:-https://www.thenewsminute.com

A BJP leader in Telangana has converted his building into a party office, allegedly to escape municipal action. Municipal officials had earlier issued a show-cause notice to J Rama Krishna, the former Secunderabad Cantonment Board (SCB) Chairman, accusing him of illegally constructing extra floors in a building, without due permission. In a show-cause notice to Rama Krishna from the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) dated December 17, the corporation said that they had inspected the premises and found that of the five-floor building, three floors and a penthouse did not have permits and were illegal constructions.

The building is located at Entrenchment Road, East Marredpally, Secunderabad and had been lying vacant. The GHMC in their show cause notice wrote, “On verification of office records, you have not applied for any permissions from the GHMC duly violating the provisions of the Hyderabad Municipal Corporation Act, 1955, building bye-laws and rules.”

The municipal officials asked Rama Krishna to explain in writing why the unauthorised construction should not be removed. The GHMC had sought a reply within seven days. The deputy commissioner who issued the notice did not wish to comment on the matter.

However, alleging political vendetta by the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) against him, the BJP leader insisted that no permits were required for additional construction in buildings less than 100 square yards in size.

Rama Krishna was unreachable. However, speaking to The New Indian Express, he claimed that he had given a ‘befitting reply’ to the GHMC. The leader confirmed that he was going to use the space as a BJP office. The office will be formally opened at a later time and for now, only banners have been installed.

The leader cited a Government Order which allowed buildings constructed before 1985 which have an area of less than 100 square yards not needing any municipal permission for additional construction. The leader said that the building in question is 40 years old and only 55 square yards, thus the notice was unwarranted. Rama Krishna also threatened to issue a legal notice to the corporation, he had joined the BJP only in November this year.

The move to convert the building into a BJP office came days after the GHMC notice. Critics pointed out that it would be difficult for the GHMC to demolish the office of a political party, while compared to the property of a single individual. TRS leader Krishnank took to Twitter to highlight the issue and tagged Secunderabad Member of Parliament (MP) and Union Minister of State (Home Affairs) G Kishen Reddy, asking if he encouraged such illegal activity.