The State government is awaiting the order copy of the direction of the Telangana High Court Justice Anil Kumar Jukanti to the Chief Secretary to relieve Hyderabad Disaster Response and Assets Protection Agency (HYDRAA) Commissioner A. V. Ranganath from the post and replace him with suitable official.

“We are yet to receive the full order copy from the High Court. Till we go through the order copy and its direction, further action cannot be taken,” top sources in the government told The Hindu on Monday. It is learnt that the full order copy will be available only after two days.

With the Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy away in New Delhi and unlikely to return till Wednesday, the government, it appears is not in a hurry to implement the directive. “We will wait for the return of the Chief Minister and only after a meeting, it will be decided what has to be done next,” sources remarked.

It is understood that the government is likely to approach the Division Bench of the Telangana High Court to challenge the order. It is reliably learnt that the government does not want to concede any ground on the work done HYDRAA on encroachments and reclaiming the encroached lands and lakes led by its Commissioner. It in all probablity would urge the Division Bench to stay the order.

It may be mentioned here that here that the Telangana High Court on Monday (July 27, 2026) directed the Chief Secretary to relieve IPS officer A.V. Ranganath from his post as HYDRAA Commissioner and appoint a suitable replacement. The direction came from Justice Anil Kumar Jukanti while hearing a batch of contempt cases arising out of allegations that HYDRAA officials violated court orders during an operation at a disputed land parcel in Lothkunta.

The controversy pertains to a 40 acre property claimed by M/s Shanta Sriram Constructions Private Limited. The company alleged that HYDRAA officials entered the land in July with nearly 50 vehicles and around 200 personnel. According to the petitioner, the officials damaged containers, chairs, tables and other office infrastructure while demolishing tin sheet structures on the premises, asserting that the land belonged to the government.

While the Opposition parties have welcomed the High Court directive with BJP chief N. Ramachander Rao demanding the scrapping of HYDRAA, the BRS maintained that the court direction have have vindicated the party’s view on the agency that it is meant only to target the poor and middle-class people and not the rich. But, the Congress countered the opposition argument that HYDRAA is crucial for protecting Hyderabad’s lakes, ponds, drains, roads and public lands from encroachments.

Published - July 27, 2026 10:12 pm IST