Revenue Minister Ponguleti defends HILT policy amid Rs 5 lakh crore scam allegations

Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy defended the Congress government’s HILT Policy, which allows industrial land-use conversion at nominal rates, citing precedents from earlier Congress regimes. He dismissed BRS allegations of a Rs 5 lakh crore scam, pointing out that similar conversions were permitted earlier.

Hyderabad: Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy on Wednesday defended the Congress government’s decision to allow industrial land-use conversion at nominal rates under the new Hyderabad Industrial Lands Transformation (HILT) Policy.

The move follows precedents set by earlier Congress governments in undivided Andhra Pradesh, which proposed shifting polluting industries outside the ORR and repurposing the existing zones for residential and commercial development, he claimed.

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Citing recommendations of the Cabinet subcommittee led by Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, he said applications were invited and applicants were asked to pay a percentage of market value for registration and zone conversion. Alleging that the BRS too allowed similar conversions, he asked on what basis the BRS was claiming a Rs 5 lakh crore scam.

Speaking at the Secretariat on Wednesday, the Minister announced that the State would launch the new Bhu Bharati platform in January, formally ending the Dharani system. The NIC-developed platform will integrate land, survey and registration records into a single-page digital interface.

He said 413 revenue villages without maps were prioritised, with pilot surveys completed in five villages. New survey numbers and Bhudhaar cards are ready for distribution after local body polls. A second-phase survey will cover 373 villages next year, followed by a third phase across all districts. A Bhu Bharati mobile app will also be launched next month, he said, adding that market value revision within GHMC limits would be taken up soon.