GHMC undecided over Pushpanjali

Few months back, when the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) had declared the Pushpanjali Complex in Koti, which houses more than 200 shops unsafe, it had also issued notices to the shop owners to vacate the premises in three days.

However, even after three months the GHMC is still sleeping on the issue.According to the notice, the shop owners were told to vacate as the Pushpanjali Complex was to be sealed off.Since, the building was in a dilapidated condition and did not possess proper fire-fighting equipments, the civic body had ordered for its closure.

The first major fire had broken out in the complex on February 5, 2006 causing severe damage to property and the building. The second fire mishap took place on February 4 this year.After the first incident, a technical committee was appointed by the GHMC to make a report on the structure and take a decision on the restoration.

The report stated that structure was “very weak and unsafe” and suggested its strengthening.But, the GHMC officials are now delaying the matter with their excuses. “Since we were short staffed and busy with election work, Pushpanjali Complex was not on our priority list,” said Mr Purusotham Reddy, the chief planning officer, GHMC.Meanwhile, the shopkeepers too are not ready to vacate their shops.

“We have been running our shop here for several years. We will experience heavy losses if the shops are shut down. We shall seek legal aid if we are forced to vacate,” said Mr Chandhrabhan Singh, owner, Rajhdhani shop.