The National Green Tribunal (NGT) issued notices to the Telangana government and IT Minister K. T. Rama Rao on the construction of a farmhouse at Janwada on the outskirts of the city, allegedly in violation of the Government Order 111 that bans construction in the catchment area of Himayathsagar and Osmansagar reservoirs, according to Congress leaders.
The notices were given on a petition filed by Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) working president and Parliament member from Malkajgiri constituency A. Revanth Reddy, who alleged that a farmhouse in the area was constructed by Mr. KTR in violation of the GO.
The NGT also ordered for constitution of a fact-finding committee consisting of Principal Secretary, Irrigation, Telangana, commissioner of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), commissioner of the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA), and Rangareddy District Collector, among others, Mr. Reddy claimed. “The NGT asked the committee to inspect the constructions in violation of the GO 111 and submit the report within two months,” he said.
Mr. Revanth Reddy, two months ago, had claimed that a farmhouse built in violation of the GO 111 at Janwada belonged to IT Minister K.T. Rama Rao and also showed some pictures shot by a drone in support of his claims. He had also taken a media team to show that the government was silent on the issue. However, Mr. Reddy and his followers were arrested by the Narsingi police for violation of peace and unlawful assembly in a private place.
Case filed
A case was filed against Mr. Reddy and 8 others for shooting pictures with a drone without permission endangering the lives of the inmates. Mr. Reddy was denied bail in the case and spent more than a week in jail on the charge of breaching the security of a person.
In a statement here, Mr. Revanth Reddy demanded the resignation of KTR, saying the members of the committee constituted by the NGT directly worked under his Ministry and the probe could not be fair. “If he doesn’t resign, Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao should dismiss him,” he said.
