Property owners, activists oppose Musi Riverfront project, allege secrecy

Property owners and Musi Jan Andolan activists have opposed the Musi Riverfront Development Project, alleging lack of transparency and public consultation. Claiming the project threatens middle-class homes, they warned of intensified protests until the government withdraws the proposal.

Hyderabad: Property owners, civic society organisations and activists of the Musi Jan Andolan (MJA) opposed the Musi River Front Project proposed by the Congress govt, saying there was no sanctity to the project and describing it as a bogus and undemocratic proposal.

On Monday, over 200 property owners whose properties were to be affected during land acquisition for the project, along with representatives and residents of Shiva Puri Colony, Dattatreya Colony, Sri Vigneshwara colony, Dream Homes Colony, Karywell Homes, P G Colony, Vishal Nagar, Sai Ram Nagar and Madhu Park Ridge Apartments along the Musi banks, both upstream and downstream, protested and raised concerns.

---

The protesters told the media they unanimously opposed the state govt, which initiated the issuance of the Transferable Development Rights (TDRs), and said it was unacceptable.

According to them, “most of the citizens are middle-class and lower-income groups and settled over the past four decades and built houses through bank loans and paying EMIs. Now, the Congress government is planning to demolish the properties without consulting them and conducting a social impact survey.”

A few property owners said, “The state government is maintaining absolute secrecy. The officials did not upload approved maps about the river boundary and buffer zones, nor were they uploaded to the Musi River Development Corporation Ltd (MRDCL)’s official portal. Even the officials kept secret about the details of the buffer zone, and a ‘detailed project report’ (DPR) details of the Musi Riverfront Development Project.”

The activists and property owners urged chief minister A Revanth Reddy to initiate open consultations with residents who were going to be affected by what they described as an ill-informed project shrouded in secrecy, and to maintain transparency.

They said all agitators decided to intensify protests under Musi Jan Andolan on the lines of Narmada Bachao Andolan until the state govt withdrew the project.

Meanwhile, a delegation met MRDCL officials and represented the issues raised at the media conference.