The Aryavarth Express Hyderabad, Telangana: Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president KT Rama Rao (KTR) on Wednesday clarified that his party does not oppose the rejuvenation of the Musi River, but strongly condemns what he termed a massive Rs 1.5 lakh crore financial “scam” being executed under the project. In protest, KTR and BRS MLAs staged a walkout from the assembly.
During the assembly session, KTR, along with MLAs Sudhir Reddy, Kaleru Venkatesh, and Bandaru Lakshma Reddy, raised serious concerns about the project, including the Detailed Project Report (DPR), large-scale house demolitions, land acquisition, rising costs, and contradictory government statements.
KTR questioned the government’s claim of inflating a project originally estimated at Rs 16,000 crore to Rs 1.5 lakh crore, highlighting discrepancies between public statements and assembly records citing only Rs 4,000–5,000 crore. He demanded clarity on project phases, land acquisition extent, and the number of homes to be demolished. Official notifications suggest over 10,000 houses and 3,260 acres of land could be affected.
He also criticized the government for lack of transparency, noting that the Musi River Development Corporation’s managing director reportedly confirmed no DPR exists. KTR opposed the government’s practice of holding presentations in five-star hotels rather than consulting affected communities directly.
Alleging corruption, KTR said the Congress party originally turned the Musi into a polluted drain and is now exploiting the redevelopment project for financial gain. He highlighted inconsistencies in buffer zone claims, demolition notices, and coordination issues, including unauthorized demolitions in Khammam district.
KTR also raised concerns about the DPR contractor, “Main Heart”, which he said has faced bans in multiple countries, and noted that no loan has been sanctioned by the Asian Development Bank (ADB). Direct communication with ADB confirmed no approval had been granted.
He concluded that the government must either correct its information or face charges of misleading the assembly and the public, and reaffirmed that BRS will oppose any decisions jeopardizing people’s homes, livelihoods, or properties.
