HYDRAA logo
Hyderabad: Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA) on Thursday, August 6, said it has launched an in-depth inquiry into the fake fire NOC (no objection certificate) racket after 56 fake certificates were uncovered recently.
It also dismissed a report from social media news outlet TeluguScribe that claimed HYDRAA was collecting Rs 6 lakh from colleges to issue NOCs. The report had claimed HYDRAA officials carried out a Rs 10.8 crore scam in the name of NOCs.
HYDRAA said it has started reviewing the NOCs of all colleges within the limits of the Outer Ring Road (ORR) after receiving a complaint regarding Haindavi Junior College’s fake certificate. The college is owned by Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader Gaddam Srinivas Yadav.
In the first phase of its review, HYDRAA found eight fake certificates and lodged a complaint with Lake Police Station at Necklace Road on July 4. Subsequently, the agency found 44 more fake NOCs.
The colleges have reportedly applied for approvals from the state Intermediate Board through these fake certificates.
The agency has written to the board on the matter. A committee has been formed with HYDRAA officials and a nodal officer from the Board of Intermediate Education to uncover all fake NOCs.
Within ORR, HYDRAA has been given the responsibility to issue fire NOCs for buildings with a height of less than 15 meters. For taller buildings, the certificates are issued by the Fire Department.
Before HYDRAA, the certificates were issued by the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC). The authenticity of an NOC can be verified through a QR code on the document.
This post was last modified on August 6, 2026 11:28 pm