Hyderabad, Dec 19
Demolition of some shops by the Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA) triggered tension and protest at Alkapur Colony in the Manikonda area of the state capital on Thursday.
Teams of HYDRAA carried out the demolition of shops attached to Anuhar Morning Raga Apartments following complaints by residents.
Shopkeepers had heated arguments with the HYDRAA officials and staged a protest at the site. They questioned how their shops could be demolished when they have been paying lakhs of rupees as tax to the Manikonda municipality.
Grocery, fruit, and vegetable shops on the apartment’s ground floor were demolished. The shopkeepers claimed that the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) had given permission to them in 2016. They claimed that there were no deviations in setbacks, floors, or parking provisions.
HYDRAA Commissioner A.V. Ranganath said that the demolition was carried out after the agency received complaints from several families residing in the apartment.