Demolition of N-Convention in Hyderabad creates fear among elite property owners

HYDERABAD: The demolition of actor Akkineni Nagarjuna’s N-Convention in Hyderabad on Saturday is sending a chill down the spine of politicians, businessmen, bureaucrats and celebrities, who own palatial farmhouses in the FTL and buffer zones of lakes in Hyderabad.

They are worried that HYDRAA, which has been constituted recently and tasked with the protection of lakes, might set its eyes on their farmhouses. Apart from politicians, businessmen, bureaucrats and celebrities have posh houses close to the water bodies.

The demolition drive is also making the ruling party leaders shudder as HYDRAA does not seem to differentiate between the ruling and Opposition parties nor is it sparing celebrities of high social standing and political clout.

Sources in the government said that HYDRAA has clear instructions to pull down all structures and buildings that have come up in lake areas, nalas and buffer zones, and the FTL.

This is all the more important as, if it does not, it would give scope for criticism that the government was selectively demolishing buildings. Senior leader and Congress Working Committee member MM Pallam Raju also faced the heat as HYDRAA began razing buildings.

In view of the acceleration of the demolition drive, leaders of all parties are trying to reach the courts and obtain stay orders.

On other hand, BRS leaders like MLAs Ch Malla Reddy and Palla Rajeshwar Reddy are facing allegations that they had built college buildings on buffer and FTL limits of lakes.

The Irrigation department has lodged a complaint against Palla Rajeshwar Reddy with the Pocharam IT corridor police against the construction of a building on the FTL of a lake. It requested the police to register a case against him.

Ch Malla Reddy is also facing similar allegations. The municipal authorities have already demolished a few of his buildings in recent times.

Meanwhile, the spotlight continues to be on the farmhouse in Janwada that is linked to BRS working president KT Rama Rao.

However, there is intense debate on social media platforms on whether HYDRAA would be able to pull down the farmhouse in Janwada. Rama Rao has demanded that the government first demolish farmhouses owned by Congress leaders in the FTL of lakes. He referred to one such house owned by Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy.

Srinivasa Reddy reacted to Rama Rao’s remarks sharply and dared him to prove that his house was on the FTL and if the BRS leader could do so, he himself would pull it down.

Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka said that HYDRAA was taking action based on reports of violations of rules.