BRS not against Musi rejuvenation, but land grab attempts will be thwarted, says KTR

BRS working president KT Rama Rao criticised the Congress government’s proposed Musi River project, alleging it was aimed at large-scale land acquisition and benefiting real estate interests. He said the BRS would oppose any move that harms residents

Hyderabad: Stressing that the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) was not against the River Musi rejuvenation project, BRS working president and former Municipal Administration and Urban Development Minister KT Rama Rao said any attempt to grab lands and loot public resources in the name of the project would be strongly opposed.

The BRS working president said that the Congress government’s proposed Musi River project was not a genuine beautification initiative but a massive land grab scheme along the river.

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“When the Namami Gange project was executed at a cost of Rs.42,000 crore, why was the Congress government planning to spend Rs.1.5 lakh crore for developing just 55 kms of the River Musi,” Rama Rao asked at the “Musi Rejuvenation – PowerPoint Presentation vs Public Point” programme held at Himayat Sagar here on Saturday.

He said the River Musi could be developed without causing harm to the public or demolishing houses. The previous BRS government had already developed nearly six kilometres of the River Musi stretch in Uppal and Nagole successfully without demolishing a single house and with Rs.6 crore, he said.

According to Rama Rao, the BRS government had prepared a comprehensive Musi development plan with an estimated cost of nearly Rs.16,000 crore, which included an expressway along the river and several infrastructure improvements. Plans were also made to bring fresh water into the Musi through the Kaleshwaram project at an estimated cost of around Rs.1,100 crore.

“The Congress government is ignoring these practical and cost-effective plans. Instead, it is pursuing a massive project aimed at benefiting real estate interests along the river,” Rama Rao alleged.

Under Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy’s leadership, the Congress government proposed a project worth Rs.1.5 lakh crore. According to him, the move was aimed at demolishing thousands of homes and facilitating large-scale corruption, while the government’s real intention was to acquire around 3,300 acres of land along the Musi.

He said the project was being proposed even as the Chief Minister himself admitted to financial constraints. “Revanth Reddy does not have money for implementing the promises made to the people, but claims sufficient money for taking up the River Musi project,” Rama Rao said.

The government had Rs.200 crore for organising Miss World competitions and another Rs.200 crore for organising a football match, but did not have money to fulfil its promises, he added.

Rama Rao criticised the government for moving ahead with the project without a Detailed Project Report (DPR), Social Impact Assessment or Environmental Impact Study, and without consultations with affected communities.

Accusing the Congress of historically neglecting the River Musi and turning it into a polluted drain during its decades in power, he demanded that the party apologise to the people of Hyderabad for the environmental damage caused in the past.

He also questioned the selective implementation of buffer zone regulations and asked why the government was targeting poor and middle-class residents while ignoring properties belonging to influential individuals, including political leaders and Ministers in the buffer zones.

“The BRS will stand firmly with the victims and support them in their struggle. If people collectively oppose the current plan, the BRS government in future will reverse the “bulldozer politics” of the Congress and ensure protection of people’s homes and lands,” Rama Rao said.

Several residents living along the Musi who attended the event expressed strong concern and anger over the government’s proposed plan and appealed for protection of their homes and livelihoods.