Can’t Hold Urgent Hearing; HC On PIL Against Secretariat Demolition

HYDERABAD: A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed in Telangana High Court on Wednesday seeking halt of the ongoing demolition of Secretariat buildings. The petition was filed by Professor PL Vishwshwar Rao. The petitioner stated that the government is demolishing the secretariat buildings by flouting the norms of COVID-19. The petitioner contended that the demolition of buildings also causes environmental pollution. The demolition of buildings is being carried out without considering the norms stipulated for municipality solid waste management, he said.

Responding to the petition, the high court however maintained that the petition cannot be taken up for urgent hearing.

There are A B C D E F G H I J K blocks as part of the old secretariat. Of them, C, H and G were totally demolished.  The demolition works  continued for the second day on Wednesday.

The demolition drive to raze  the 132-year-old secretariat was started on Tuesday under the aegis of the roads and buildings department. As a precautionary measure, the police have sealed all the roads leading to the secretariat area.
The demolition began after the High Court has recently cleared the proposal of building a new secretariat complex. Last week, the high court had dismissed all the petitions filed by the activists against demolition.