KTR dubs Musi Development as huge scam in the making

Women at Kishanbagh explaining their problem of looming displacement due to Musi Development Project before BRS leaders in Hyderabad on Monday.
| Photo Credit: By Arrangement

HYDERABAD

Working president of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) K.T. Rama Rao has alleged that the Musi Development Project taken up by the State government is a scam in the making given the projected cost of ₹1.5 lakh crore while the BRS when in power had planned it with just ₹16,000 crore.

Addressing a press conference here on Monday, he said the BRS government could not take up the project but had constructed 32 sewerage treatment plants (STPs) to prevent the drainage and sewage water reaching the river course and keep it clean instead of displacing the families from the word go.

He said both the Chief Minister and his Deputy were going to town on every given opportunity stating that their government was borrowing loans to repay loans and the coffers were empty, he sought to know where was the need to go for the beautification of Musi as a priority project. Instead, he told the government to focus on fulfilling the promises made as part of the six guarantees.

Mr. Rama Rao listed out that enhanced social security pension of ₹4,000 per month to aged persons, widows, single women and others, ₹2,500 per month support to women under Gruhalakshmi, enhanced investment support to farmers under Rythu Bharosa, support to auto-drivers and a long list of other promises have failed to take-off so far. “It’s nearly 300 days already, 268 to be precise, since Congress came to power but the six guarantees remain sour grapes,” Mr. Rama Rao said.

He said the ‘Namami Gange’ project taken up by the Centre was estimated to cost ₹40,000 crore for cleansing of Ganga river for a stretch of 2,400 km. Similarly, on the Sabarmati river front project for 38.5 km river course taken up in Gujarat ₹7,050 crore was spent so far and the Yamuna river project was taken up with ₹1,000 crore for a stretch of 22 km, he added. Mr. Rama Rao observed that the Revanth Reddy government pursued destruction and distraction politics instead of development and welfare.

Later, he went to Hyderguda and Kishabagh to meet people facing displacement as part of the Musi Development Project and assured them support from the BRS.