Squads to rein in illegal structures

Hyderabad: The municipal administration & urban development (MAUD) department is constituting district-wise enforcement squads to stop illegal constructions and layouts.

The squads will be pressed into service to identify and take action against people resorting to illegal constructions and initiate action against illegal layouts. The squads will have officials from police, revenue, and roads and buildings departments.

“District collectors have been instructed to constitute the squads ahead of the demolitions. They have also been asked to hire officials on contract basis if needed,” said a MAUD official. The squads are being formed as per the provisions of the Telangana State Building Permission Approval and Self Certification System (TS-bPASS) Act.

As per the Act, the squads need to attend to the complaints reported on TS-bPASS portal, online and manually. “We will first probe the complaint, if the building is illegal a notice will be issued to the owner, following which the building is razed,” said a Directorate of Town and Country Planning official. “The complete process will be videographed and a copy of the panchnama will be handed over to the property owner,” he added.