HDA officers appropriate pricey plots through loopholes in system.

HYDERABAD -- The Hyde-rabad Development Authority's (HDA) director general has ordered probe into loopholes in the legal process for cancellation and restoration of defaulting allottees' plots, which allow officers to appropriate pricey plots in various housing schemes without seeking approval of the HDA general body.

Deputy Commissioner Fuad Ghaffar Soomro, who held the additional charge of the authority's DG, pointed out that the lacuna in the process had not been addressed by the authority over the years, allowing officers to take undue advantage of it. 'This is to be fixed,' he said and added unless procedural defects were removed the wrong practice, which had also sapped HDA's revenues, would continue.

He had ordered the probe a few days back and directed HDA's law officer Altaf Ahmed Qureshi to conduct the inquiry and submit findings within 15 days. He directed P and DC officers and officials of land management to coordinate with the enquiry officer.

Mr Qureshi would determine 'legality' of notices issued for the cancellation or restoration of plots and also check language of all notices issued for the purpose, including those for auction of residential or commercial plots in all other housing schemes as well, he said.

The DG wanted to know the fate of the plots after issuance of such notices and the legal status of such plots after their cancellation or otherwise. The enquiry officer would look into the fact whether recovery of revenue made against such plots was in contravention of the decision of HDA governing body, he said.

Mr Soomro said that he grew suspicious after a deeper perusal of such...