Telangana High Court directs GHMC told to withdraw closure notices

HYDERABAD: A division bench of Telangana High Court on Monday directed the GHMC Commissioner to immediately withdraw all the closure notices issued to various industries functioning in Tata Nagar and Shastripuram areas near Mailardevpally in the city.

Further, the bench directed the Commissioner to submit master plan of these areas. Hundreds of cases have been filed in the High Court challenging the closure notices. Until and unless the GHMC withdraws all closure notices till the lockdown period is over, the petitioners will continue to languish in the High Court, the bench observed.

The bench passed this order in batch petitions filed alleging that the GHMC has issued closure notices on flimsy grounds.

During the course of hearing, the GHMC counsel told the court that necessary training has been imparted to the officials on how to deal with the above issue. A report has been filed by the pollution control board in the case, he added.

Let the GHMC withdraw all closure notices now and issue fresh notice adhering to the GHMC Act and a prior inspection of the work place which it thinks of closing down, the bench said. When the GHMC counsel sought some time to get instructions on withdrawing closure notices, the court adjourned the case hearing to July 6.