- BRS walkout Musi project row over corruption allegations
- KT Rama Rao questions DPR and project cost escalation
Hyderabad: The BRS walkout Musi project protest rocked the Assembly on Wednesday. The Bharat Rashtra Samithi staged a walkout, alleging a massive scam of Rs.1.5 lakh crore in the Musi Rejuvenation project.
During question hour, BRS working president KT Rama Rao said the party was not against the project. However, he opposed the government’s approach. He raised concerns about transparency and decisions affecting people likely to be displaced.
BRS walkout Musi project highlights DPR contradictions
Rama Rao pointed to contradictions in official statements. He said Industries Minister D Sridhar Babu earlier told the House that the Detailed Project Report would take 18 months. However, the Minister later said the DPR was already ready. This, he noted, created confusion.
He also questioned claims about funding approval. He said the Minister earlier stated that the Asian Development Bank had given in principle approval. However, when Musi Jan Adolan approached the bank, it clarified that the DPR was not submitted and no such approval was given.
“Explain the rationale behind inflating a project originally estimated at Rs.16,000 crore to Rs.1.5 lakh crore. How can Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy claim Rs. 1.5 lakh crore in public statements, while figures of only Rs.4,000 crore to Rs.5,000 crore were being cited in the Assembly?” he asked.
Rama Rao also referred to Gazette notifications. He said more than 10,000 houses may be demolished and over 3,260 acres acquired. However, the government claimed only 1,435 structures were identified. He questioned the basis for this difference.
Meanwhile, he raised concerns about the involvement of Meinhardt company. He said it was blacklisted and banned in Pakistan and Singapore. He also pointed out that notices were issued even to residents in areas like Hanuman Nagar, which are nearly 5 kilometres away, despite a claimed 50 metre buffer zone.
Intervening, the Industries Minister urged the Speaker to direct the BRS MLA to stick to the question. “We are ready for a short discussion on the Musi project,” Sridhar Babu said.
Rama Rao continued to criticise the lack of clarity. He said there was no clear answer on whether a DPR exists. He added that the Managing Director of the Musi River Development Corporation reportedly stated that no DPR was available. He also accused the government of not giving accurate details on houses to be demolished.
Accusing the Congress party, he said it had earlier turned the Musi River into a polluted drain. He alleged that it was now trying to exploit the situation for corruption. “If a DPR exists, it should be immediately tabled in the Assembly,” Rama Rao demanded.
However, as the government did not provide clear replies, the BRS staged a walkout from the House. The protest highlighted rising tensions over the Musi project and its implementation.
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