Hyderabad: In connection with the illegal construction of farmhouse at Janwada near Hyderabad, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued a notice to Telangana IT minister KT Rama Rao.
The notice is also issued to the Telangana government, Pollution Control Board and Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) in connection with the case.
The notice issued following the objections raised by Congress working president, A Revanth Reddy over alleged illegal construction of farmhouse.
Reddy filed a plea against KTR accusing him of buying 25-acre land and alleged that the construction of the farmhouse violated a government order (GO 111) which bars developing permanent structures in the catchment area of the Osman Sagar Lake.
However, KTR had said earlier that he did not construct the farmhouse and has only taken it for lease.
What is GO 111?
The two water bodies Himayat Sagar and Osman Sagar in Gandipet which supply drinking water to Hyderabad and their catchment areas are protected from civil and commercial development by a government decree called GO 111.
GO 111 is in place in about 60-80 villages in Ranga Reddy district.
The National Green Tribunal set up a fact-finding committee which includes officials from Telangana State Pollution Control Board, Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Agency (HMDA) and officials of the lake and water bodies.
The bench has directed the committee to conduct the inspection and submit a report within two months with its findings and suggestions.
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has also asked the committee to examine whether the 2018 NGT judgement in GO 111 case is being implemented in the state or not.
The Congress MP, Revanth Reddy was arrested in March for flying a drone unlawfully over the three-storey building (farmhouse). Later, he was released on bail on March 18.