BRS Leader Harish Rao Accuses CM of Using Musi Project for Real Estate Gain

HYDERABAD: BRS leader T Harish Rao has accused the state government of using the proposed Musi river rejuvenation project as a front for real estate business. Speaking on Sunday, Rao vowed to raise the issue during the forthcoming Budget session of the State Legislative Assembly.

The former minister interacted with families who are likely to be affected by the Musi rejuvenation project, voicing concerns over the government's intentions. Rao alleged that every step taken by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy is aimed at land grabbing and real estate development. “There is no detailed project report, and there are no permissions so far for the Musi rejuvenation project. Yet, officials are issuing notices asking people to vacate their homes,” he said.

Rao specifically called on officials to withdraw the notices issued to residents of Madhu Park Apartments, recalling that the BRS vision document was prepared in the same building. “The BRS government laid roads and provided drinking water to the residents of this apartment. The present government is trying to take back the lands in the name of the Musi project and hand them over to corporate forces,” he alleged.

While the BRS leader stated that his party is not against the cleansing of the Musi river, he emphasized that the BRS government had constructed sewage treatment plants (STPs) with an investment of ₹3,800 crore. “The BRS government also prepared the detailed project reports (DPRs) to divert Kaleshwaram water to Musi but never considered demolishing homes,” he added.

Rao further alleged that the BRS government had acquired 14,000 acres for the Pharma City project, but the current chief minister is converting this land into his Fourth City project, which he described as a real estate business venture. “The government should instead lay pipelines and divert Godavari waters to Musi to clean the river,” he suggested.

In another allegation, Rao claimed that the state government is planning to demolish the homes of the poor in the name of installing a Gandhi statue at Bapu Ghat. “This project is just another excuse for land grabbing,” he said.

The Siddipet MLA also noted that land rates have fallen under the Congress rule, attributing this to the government’s HYDRAA project and its attempts to grab lands for the Future City. He also mentioned the government's efforts to reclaim lands from the University of Hyderabad.

Meanwhile, BRS working president KT Rama Rao alleged that Revanth has turned Telangana into an ATM for the All India Congress Committee (AICC). In a statement, the former minister said that the chief minister himself admitted this by stating that the state Congress could provide ₹1,000 crore if the Gandhi family had any financial issues. “This government has failed to implement the assurances given to the people of Telangana but has raised ₹3 lakh crore in debts in the last two years,” he added.