Hyderabad: Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLA T Harish Rao on Friday, October 18, accepted Telangana chief minister A Revanth Reddy’s challenge to visit the oustees of the Musi River development and Malanna Sagar projects.
Rao also called out the Congress government for its “Real Estate Politics” claiming that it is turning a genuine river development project into a real estate project which in turn is troubling the people of Telangana.
Addressing the chief minister regarding the challenge, Rao asked him to come along with no security, “Let us go together, no security, no theatrics. You pick the time and date, or I’ll be ready by 9 am tomorrow. I will drive the vehicle and visit oustees of the Musi River project, followed by Mallanna Sagar rehabilitation colony and debate at Pochamma Sagar bund,” he said.
Attacking the chief minister, Rao reiterated that the BRS was not opposed to the Musi River rejuvenation, but was opposed to the real estate projects of the Congress government. He demanded that the Telangana government release a detailed project report for the project, obtain all permissions, rehabilitate those living in riverbeds by compensating them as per the Land Acquisition Act of 2013 brought by the then UPA government, and also avoid unnecessary displacement.
Rao reminded Reddy that the BRS government had compensated the Mallana Sagar project oustees as per the LAAR Act.
Addressing a press conference at the Telangana Bhavan, the former Telangana finance minister slammed the Congress government over the Musi Riverfront Development project. “We are not against the Musi rejuvenation. We oppose your bulldozer policies and the real estate frenzy you have unleashed, affecting the poor and middle class,” he remarked.
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He further attacked Revanth over a recent presentation by the Meinhardth firm regarding the Musi Riverfront Development project. “Rejuvenation means cleaner waters and life sustainability, not high-tech glass towers and graphic presentations. Rather than taking up construction, the chief minister’s pet project began with unacceptable destruction,” he lamented, adding that the Congress deceived the public by prioritising “beautification”.
The MLA also criticised Reddy stating there is a big difference in the latter’s words and actions. He claimed that the CM spoke about demolishing homes in buffer zones, and he allowed the construction of multi-storey malls in the same areas. He further questioned the absurd claims of the Congress leaders that such projects do not need environmental clearances.
The BRS legislator reiterated the party’s commitment to the true rejuvenation of the Musi River and condemned the Congress for exploiting the people through reckless, self-serving projects. “Former chief minister K Chandrashekhar Rao‘s leadership initiated Musi rejuvenation. Revanth has turned it into a land-grabbing scheme,” he charged.
Stating that Revanth Reddy was trying to provoke people of the erstwhile Nalgonda district with false promises, he demanded that if the former was committed to providing clean water to the people of Nalgonda, he must first focus on stopping pollution of those waters due to release of industrial effluents into Musi River.
