Hyderabad: Strongly condemning Siddipet MLA T Harish Rao’s allegations of illegal mining in Kotwalguda, land grabbing in Vattinagulapally and Nadergul villages in Rangareddy against Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy and his family, the latter described it as a conspiracy to save their own skin by resorting to mudslinging against the ministers to defame the government.
Addressing the media at Dr BR Ambedkar Telangana State Secretariat on Wednesday, April 8, Reddy said that the forensic audit of the land irregularities perpetrated under the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) government in two districts has been completed. “More skeletons will come out of the closet. that os why Harish Rao, KT Rama Rao (KTR), and K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) are scared,” he said.
On allegation of 7,000 crore land deals in Nadergul
Speaking on the issue of 373-acre land in Survey No 613 in Nadergul village of Balapur mandal in Rangareddy, Reddy said that neither he nor his family members had anything to do with the three companies allegedly trying to occupy those lands.
Reddy alleged that the land registration under the names of United Landmarks Pvt Ltd, Alpha Estates Pvt Ltd and Omega Development Ventures Pvt Ltd was done on September 1, 2014, and mutations in September 2016, when KCR was chief minister.
Mentioning that the said land has been contested in various courts, and that a special leave petition was filed by the aggrieved parties in the Supreme Court on April 15, 2015, Reddy questioned why the then BRS government failed to file a counter.
“It was only after the Congress came to power that a counter was filed on March 17, 2025, claiming it is government land, and that non-agricultural land conversion (NALA) can’t be done on that land,” he asserted.
On a front-page banner story published in Namasthe Telangana, where it was first alleged that Megha Engineering and Infrastructures Ltd (MEIL) was behind the land grabbing, and a few days later reported that Ponguleti was the land grabber, the Minister said that everybody knew which party benefited.
“Harish Rao is worried about losing his share and is indulging in dirty politics. The land is still in the prohibitory list and the Congress government hasn’t added a comma or full stop,” Reddy said.
Vattinagulapally land issue
Reddy said the land dispute in Vattinagulapally village under Narsingi municipality pertains to a property owned by one Shah family, purchased around 60–70 years ago.
He stated that a portion of the land was acquired by the then Congress government led by Dr YS Rajasekhara Reddy for the construction of the Outer Ring Road (ORR).
Displaying a Google Maps image of the land, colour-coded into three parts, Reddy said, “This home, that home encroached upon the residual land left after the ORR acquisition, amounting to nearly 22 acres.”
“On August 19, 2023, just 15 days before the Assembly Election notification was given for NALA conversion for the land belonging to ‘This Home That Home,’ which originally came under GO 111,” he pointed out.
He admitted that his son was part of a company which was developing part of the Shah family’s land (other than the one acquired for ORR). He said the third parcel of land belonged to one of the Shah family members, who was being instigated by vested interests to create problems for those who had bought land from the Shah family.
Ponguleti Reddy denies Raghava Construction’s role in mining
Responding to allegations by Harish Rao that Reddy’s son’s company, Raghava Constructions, was illegally operating a granite crusher in Kothwalguda village of Rajendranagar mandal in Rangareddy, the minister said the land in question had been leased from farmers as early as 2006–07 by Tirumala Metal Industries, which was engaged in laying radial roads in the area.
He said one Kumar Raj, who has been operating the crusher there for 20 years, possesses all the required documents, including GST registration and electricity bills.
He mentioned that Raghava Constructions paid Rs 2.75 crore once, and then paid more money to the Hyderabad Road Development Corporation (HRDCL) for using the material.
He claimed that no new mining was done, and his son only bought crushed stone material from that company.
