The rocky issue that has landed HYDRAA chief in trouble
The HYDRAA chief in Hyderabad is facing contempt of court charges following an operation to clear land in Lothkunta village. The agency claims the land was government property, while petitioners argue it was private land protected by a previous court order.
Why it matters
This highlights the tension between urban development enforcement agencies and property rights, raising questions about administrative overreach.
The High Court directive which sought removal of A.V.Ranganath as the Commissioner of the Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA) was spurred by a batch of contempt petitions alleging violation of the court orders with regard to a land parcel in Lothkunta village of Medchal Malkajgiri district.
The land close to Ammuguda, extending to 40 acres beside a railway line, was in the possession of a renowned builder who had won a long drawn battle against the government.
HYDRAA, acting upon a complaint about destruction of hillocks by the Society to Save Rocks, entered the land and cleared it, before fencing it off. This was despite an earlier undertaking to the High Court that HYDRAA officers would not interfere with the property of the petitioner in Lothkunta village.
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