BRS leader Harish Rao launched a fierce attack on the Congress government over what he calls a major land scam. The former health minister from Siddipet raised 8 critical questions on November 22.
Rao slammed the Hyderabad Industrial Land Transformation Policy, calling it the “Hyderabad Industrial Land Looting Policy.” He demanded answers about why land conversions happen at cheaper Sub-Registrar Office (SRO) rates instead of higher TGIIC values.
The BRS leader questioned the timing of this scheme. He asked why the government launched it now when they already planned to increase SRO rates within ORR. This decision, he argued, creates massive revenue losses for the state.
Rao highlighted shocking numbers in his criticism. He pointed out that 9,292 acres get converted at just 30 percent of registration value. This generates only Rs 5,000 crore when the actual land value reaches Rs 5 lakh crore.
“Where does the remaining Rs 4.95 lakh crore go?” Rao demanded to know. He accused the Congress of massive financial mismanagement.
IT Minister Sridhar Babu had earlier defended the policy after similar allegations from KTR. Babu claimed the industrial land was freehold property sold by the previous BRS government. He said conversions now only allow other commercial activities.
Babu explained that the 30 percent figure represents just the impact fee. He clarified that only 4,040 acres are actual plotted land from the total 9,292 acres. The remaining area covers infrastructure like roads and drainage systems.
Rao compared current policies with previous practices. Under BRS rule, people paid double the SRO rate. Now Congress reduces this to just 30 percent, causing huge treasury losses.
The Siddipet MLA attacked Chief Minister Revanth Reddy directly. He reminded everyone that Reddy promised to eliminate Layout Regularisation Scheme (LRS) and Building Regularisation Scheme (BRS).
Instead, Rao argued, the government burdens poor people with 60 to 80 percent LRS charges. Meanwhile, industrialists get land at just 30 percent rates. This creates unfair treatment between different groups.
Rao calculated additional losses from waived processing fees. He claimed this decision costs the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) around Rs 13,500 crore.
The BRS leader maintained his party’s corruption allegations. He suggested the scheme primarily benefits people close to Revanth Reddy. This raises serious questions about transparent governance.
Rao demanded clarity on revenue usage plans. He asked whether the projected Rs 5,000 crore from Sridhar Babu’s calculations would develop new industrial corridors. Alternatively, he questioned if this money would clear pending bills for selected contractors.
These allegations highlight growing tensions between BRS and Congress in Telangana. The land policy controversy continues to dominate political discussions in the state.
Rao’s questions challenge the government’s transparency and financial management. The Congress leadership now faces pressure to provide detailed explanations about their industrial land policies.
