GHMC given a week to remove cell towers

Hyderabad: A two-judge bench of the High Court at Hyderabad comprising Justice R Subash Reddy and Justice A Shanker Narayana granted one week time to the Commissioner of GHMC to remove “cell towers” as earlier directed by the court.

The bench was dealing with a contempt case filed by A Suresh Reddy complaining that GHMC had failed to remove the towers as directed by the court in June 2012. “You cannot remove a cell tower? If so, state it and we will act accordingly,” the bench said and posted the case to next Friday.

Earlier the High Court had ruled “in view of the definition of ‘building’ as defined under the provisions of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation Act, 1955, it is clear that the construction of cell signal tower squarely falls within the definition of ‘building’, and in that view of the matter, unless there is a permission, cell signal tower cannot be constructed.

Although it is the case of petitioner that an application is filed for grant of permission, it is not in dispute that no permit fee has been paid along with such application. By filing an application without paying the required fees, the petitioner is not entitled to claim the benefit of deemed provision”.