State starts process for amending Acts to empower HYDRA   

State government amends laws to empower HYDRAA in tackling encroachments, ensuring smooth functioning of disaster response authority.

The State government has initiated the process for making amendments to several legislations enabling the smooth functioning of Hyderabad Disaster Response and Assets Monitoring and Protection Authority (HYDRAA).

Several departments are learnt to have prepared the draft of amendments required for close to a dozen legislations under their purview and sent them to the Law department for its consent. The exercise was necessitated following questions raised over the powers conferred by the government on the authority to clear encroachments of tanks, lakes and nalas, which was leading to flooding of vulnerable areas during rains.

According to officials, amendments are being brought out to legislations, including Land Encroachment Act, Land Revenue Act, Municipalities Act, Panchayat Raj Act and WALTA Act, to confer powers on HYDRA to take action against encroachments. “Powers delegated under an Act passed by the State Legislature cannot be further delegated to other departments. Exercise is said to be underway to promulgate an Ordinance amending the Acts so that there are no questions about the functioning of HYDRA,” a law expert said.

The legal expert, however, favoured comprehensive legislation as it would avoid scope for legal complications in the functioning of the authority, a first-of-its-kind initiative by the government. Referring to cases filed in the High Court against HYDRAA, he said the authority was acting as an enforcement agency at the behest of these departments as could be seen from the presence of officials at the time of demolitions. “This is an authority agency created through the executive order on the lines of Planning Commission, Law Commission and other bodies,” he explained.