Apologise or take action against officials: Harish Rao dares Revenue Minister Ponguleti
BRS leader T Harish Rao accused Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy of ignoring irregularities linked to Raghava Constructions and demanded action against officials, while also raising concerns over the Nadargul land issue and alleged government inaction
Wanaparthy: Upping the ante, BRS deputy floor leader T Harish Rao demanded that Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy admit the irregularities committed by Raghava Constructions and apologise to the people of the State. Pointing out that the Chief Minister and Mines Minister had acknowledged the irregularities, he dared the Revenue Minister to make his Cabinet colleagues apologise for misleading the House, if there were no irregularities. He also demanded that the Minister initiate action against the departments concerned for issuing wrongful notices and place the facts on record.
In response to the Minister’s remarks, Harish Rao said the Minister’s defensiveness and frustration during the press meet indirectly exposed his admission of irregularities. He said that instead of addressing the specific charges, Srinivasa Reddy resorted to personal attacks and diversionary arguments to safeguard his son and their company.
The BRS deputy floor leader pointed to statements made by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and Mines Minister G Vivek Venkataswamy, who had acknowledged irregularities linked to Raghava Constructions. He reminded that when he raised the issue in the Assembly, Srinivasa Reddy, who was present in the House, did not respond, but both the Chief Minister and the Mines Minister came to his defence.
“Both your Cabinet colleagues said it was the Congress government which issued notices, but not BRS. If officials from Revenue, Mining, Pollution Control and Electricity departments confirmed illegal activity by issuing notices, how can the Minister deny any irregularities?” he asked.
Harish Rao questioned why Srinivasa Reddy did not categorically deny connections with the firm or the irregularities committed by it during the Assembly proceedings. He cited notices issued by regulatory authorities and alleged that company representatives had acknowledged them, arguing that this contradicted the Minister’s claims.
On the Nadargul land issue, he asserted that the previous BRS government had protected the land by placing it under the prohibited list in 2016 and pursuing legal battles in the court. He accused the present Congress government of failing to take possession despite claiming the land as government property.
The former Minister asked why signboards at the disputed site were changing frequently and why enforcement agencies like HYDRAA had not cleared the alleged encroachments when the government itself was claiming rights over it. He demanded immediate action against violators and accountability from officials if lapses were established.
