Telangana HC summons GHMC commissioner Lokesh Kumar over godown closure

HYDERABAD: Disapproving the ways of GHMC officials in dealing with the traders of Shastripuram in Rangareddy district, the Telangana high court on Friday directed GHMC commissioner Lokesh Kumar to appear before the court on Monday to explain the discrepancies in the show-cause and closure notices being issued by GHMC officials.
A bench of Chief Justice Raghavendra Singh Chauhan and Justice B Vijaysen Reddy gave this direction while hearing a petition filed by Mohammed Taufiq Ahmed who contended that his godown storing iron and steel scrap in the area was served with a closure notice in an unlawful manner.The bench would hear the matter on June 15 again.

His counsel Pawan Kumar Agarwal told the bench that GHMC issued them a closure notice though they only do trade and business in the area and do not cause any pollution. “They alleged that I am dumping waste and burning it which is not correct,” Ahmed said.
GHMC counsel Neeli Ashok Kumar said that this is a scrap segregation godown causing noise pollution in the residential area. “The commissioner is empowered to act against such trades,” he said. He could not give proper replies on the trade licence. At another stage, he said that the licence issued to the petitioner had expired. The CJ wanted the GHMC officials to first read the master plan and the GHMC Act properly.
“Your show-cause or closure notice cites one ground as a reason for the closure and you say something else in the court. Why this dichotomy?” the CJ asked. “We are already burdened with 2.15 lakh cases and your actions are increasing the cases. Your officials are harvesting litigation,” the CJ said addressing the GHMC counsel while directing the GHMC commissioner to be present in the court.