Hyderabad: BRS working president KT Rama Rao has alleged that the Congress govt’s proposed Musi rejuvenation project is not a genuine beautification initiative, but a massive land grab scheme targeting valuable land parcels along the river.KTR stated that BRS was not opposed to Musi development, but would strongly resist any attempts to carry out corruption or demolish people’s homes in the name of the project. He alleged that the govt’s real intention was to acquire around 3,300 acres of land along the Musi, whose total value is estimated at nearly 1.5 lakh crore.Speaking at a programme titled ‘Musi Rejuvenation – PowerPoint Presentation vs Public Point’ held at Himayatsagar on Saturday, KTR stated that the Musi could be developed without causing harm to the public. He recalled that the previous BRS govt had already developed nearly six kilometres of the Musi river stretch in Uppal and Nagole successfully without demolishing a single house. Incidentally, KTR’s presentation came a day after the Telangana govt unveiled the Musi rejuvenation project.KTR said the earlier BRS govt prepared a comprehensive Musi development plan with an estimated cost of 16,000 crore, which included an expressway along the river and several infrastructure improvements. However, the current Congress govt under chief minister A Revanth Reddy proposed a project worth 1.5 lakh crore, which he alleged aimed at demolishing thousands of homes and facilitating large-scale corruption.“If the Namami Gange project, which covers hundreds of kilometres, was executed with a cost of around 42,000 crore, the state govt must explain why 1.5 lakh crore is required for developing just 55 kilometres of the Musi,” he questioned.KTR said the previous administration planned several measures such as construction of sewage treatment plants (STPs), expressways, walkways, cycling tracks, parks, bridges, and check dams, along with initiatives to prevent sewage from entering the river. The govt also planned to bring fresh water into the Musi through the Kaleshwaram project, with an estimated cost of around 1,100 crore.KTR also questioned the selective implementation of buffer zone regulations, asking why the govt was targeting ordinary citizens while ignoring properties belonging to influential individuals, including political leaders and ministers.He assured the affected residents that BRS would stand firmly with the victims and support them in their struggle.
