HC Removes HYDRAA Commissioner Ranganath

Telangana High Court on Monday directed the Chief Secretary to immediately replace Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA) Commissioner, A.V. Ranganath for repeatedly flouting court orders.

Justice Anil Kumar Jukanti asked Chief Secretary Sanjay Jaju to identify a suitable officer to replace Ranganath as the head of HYDRAA.

The High Court gave the direction on a contempt case relating to a 40-acre parcel of land at Lothkunta involving a private construction company.

The judge took note of the fact that as many as 63 contempt cases are reportedly pending against the HYDRAA Commissioner before the High Court during his one-and-a-half-year tenure.

The court observed that it was inappropriate for a secretary-level official to commit contempt of court.

A private construction company had filed the contempt case relating to the land at Lothkunta. It accused the HYDRAA officials of entering the property and fencing it despite subsisting judicial restraint orders.

The High Court had ordered Ranganath to tender an apology through a written affidavit by Monday. However, the counsel representing HYDRAA informed the court that a petition would be filed shortly instead.

The court took serious objection to this submission, pointing out that time had been granted until Monday specifically to file the affidavit, following the intervention of the Advocate General.

It also voiced concern that the HYDRAA Commissioner had repeatedly failed to comply with judicial directions and undertakings given before the Court, despite earlier warnings.

Justice Anil Kumar observed that while HYDRAA's mission to protect public assets is commendable, its powers must be exercised with restraint and in strict accordance with the rule of law.

Expressing strong displeasure over the functioning of the Commissioner, he asked Chief Secretary to find a suitable officer to head the agency in place of the present Commissioner.

During the last hearing, the High Court had said that they will have to bring in the Army to ensure that Ranganath operates legally.

The judge had remarked that if required, he could direct the Army to take HYDRAA Commissioner into custody and lodge him in Army barracks for repeatedly violating court orders. He had directed the High Court’s Registrar General, its senior administrative officer, to contact the Army’s senior-most Brigadier posted with the Bison Division and arrange for 10 Army personnel to be deployed at the disputed site.

Advocate General Sudarshan Reddy had then submitted to the court on Ranganath’s behalf that he will follow court orders. The Advocate General had also told the court that a detailed affidavit would be filed. At this point, the court had directed that the HYDRAA Commissioner should tender an apology through the affidavit.

Ranganth, an Indian Police Service (IPS) official, has been heading HYDRAA since the agency was formed two years ago by the state government.

During the last two years, HYDRAA claims to have saved 3,315 acres of government land worth a whopping Rs.1.5 lakh crore and restored several water bodies.

The agency said that it reclaimed and protected lakes, nalas, parks, government lands, and blue-green resources.

The functioning of HYDRAA has come under criticism from opposition parties, who accused the agency of bulldozing the houses of poor on government land.