Hyderabad: The High Court has criticized the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) for its handling of construction permit approvals, indicating a “biased” application of rules.
The court’s remarks came during the hearing of a contempt petition filed by Akshaya Developers, who alleged that their permit application was unjustly denied while similar permits were granted to other entities.
During the hearing, Justice T Vinod Kumar highlighted the apparent inconsistency in HMDA’s approach, noting that different applicants were treated unequally.
Akshaya Developers were denied permits on the grounds of lacking a service road, while another organization, Ganapati Sachidananda Avadhuta Peetham Trust, received approval for construction in the same area.
This disparity raised questions about the fairness of HMDA’s decision-making process.
Furthermore, the judge questioned HMDA’s rationale for denying Akshaya Developers’ application based on technical grounds when many buildings without proper road access have been granted permits.
Despite the High Court dismissing HMDA’s appeals on September 10, the authority has not acted on the court’s directives regarding Akshaya Developers’ permit application.
The Judge interpreted inaction as a deliberate violation of court orders.
In response to these developments, the court has summoned HMDA commissioner Sarfaraz Ahmed and planning director A Vidyadhar to provide personal explanations regarding their failure to comply with court orders.
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