BRS to launch fresh agitation against Musi project, HYDRAA
BRS working president KT Rama Rao directed party legislators to reach out to the victims and stand by them at the ground level
Hyderabad: The main opposition, Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) is gearing up to launch a fresh agitation against the Musi River project, HYDRAA demolitions and the VLF Radar Station as the primary causes. BRS working president KT Rama Rao on Wednesday directed party legislators to reach out to the victims and stand by them at the ground level, giving them assurance and confidence in the fight against the Congress government’s anti-people policies.
Rama Rao, who held an extensive meeting with the BRS MLAs and MLCs in Hyderabad region at Telangana Bhavan here, drew parallels between Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s demonetisation and Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy‘s Musi Riverfront beautification project. He said both Modi and Revanth Reddy changed justifications daily to mask their poorly conceived decisions, only to create unnecessary panic among people
“Just like Modi justified demonetisation with different reasons every day – from black money to terrorism/naxalism and digitisation, Revanth Reddy is trying to justify the Musi River project. Today it’s beautification, tomorrow it’s water for Nalgonda, but where is the clarity?” he asked, pointing out that the Musi project lacked a comprehensive plan, with the Chief Minister declaring its cost at Rs.1.5 lakh crore, only to retract and state that no detailed project report (DPR) was prepared yet.
In a pointed attack, the former Municipal Administration Minister stated that the previous BRS government had initiated beautification of the Musi River, but withdrew its plans after the then Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao insisted that no project which affected the poor was worth taking up. Hence, the BRS government initiated water treatment for the Musi River apart from taking up construction of essential bridges and other infrastructure including sewerage treatment plants with Rs.16,000 crore.
“The BRS is not opposed to providing clean water to erstwhile Nalgonda district as is being propagated by the Congress. But we invested Rs.4,000 crore to ensure 100 per cent treatment of water flowing to erstwhile Nalgonda district, negating the need for spending Rs.1.5 lakh crore. The BRS government also initiated a project to supply water from Kondapochamma Sagar to Osman Sagar with Rs.1,100 crore. This new Musi River project is nothing but a burden on taxpayers,” he added.
Accordingly, Rama Rao along with the BRS elected representatives and leaders will visit the STPs to sensitise people about the initiatives of the previous BRS government to conserve Musi River and prevent its pollution. He questioned the logic behind taking up the Musi River project with Rs 1.5 lakh crore, even as the Chief Minister himself was claiming that the State was in severe debt with majority of funds being diverted to repay them.
Castigating the Congress for the HYDRAA demolitions, the BRS working president called them an attack on the poor and middle class. “Despite the government issuing legitimate construction permissions upto 50 years ago, houses are now being razed, showing a complete disregard for the law. If this government thinks it can crush the poor under bulldozers, the BRS will not remain a silent spectator. Our leaders will obstruct such unauthorised and illegal demolitions both outside and inside the courts,” he warned.
The BRS received over 450 complaints to handle their cases in the courts. If needed, the party will expand its legal cell capacity to handle the complaints. Due to the panic created by the Congress government with its demolitions, he said the real estate sector was severely affected. “While the Musi River project is being taken up to swindle crores of rupees to fill coffers of the Congress, the HYDRA demolitions have been initiated to blackmail the builders to fill the pockets of local Congress leaders,” he remarked.
On the Congress alleging that the previous BRS government gave approvals for the VLF radar station of Indian Navy in Vikarabad district, Rama Rao said though the then BRS government issued a GO in 2017, it did not hand over the land over the next six years after learning about the destruction and displacement it would cost. He said the BRS government had scrapped similar projects in the past to avoid displacing the poor and damaging the environment. “We withdrew flyover projects and underpasses near KBR Park and other initiatives, prioritising people’s welfare and environmental protection. But the Congress is bulldozing ahead, blind to the damage they are causing,” he said.
Rama Rao also slammed the Congress for taking massive loans without accountability, demanding an explanation for Rs.80,000 crore borrowed in just 10 months with no new projects to show for it.
