HYDERABAD : The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) organised protests across Telangana on Wednesday demanding that the state government implement the Layout Regularisation Scheme (LRS) without levying any charges on the applicants.
Stating that the Congress had promised before the Assembly polls that the LRS applications would be processed for free, the BRS had earlier called for statewide protests against the grand old party for making a U-turn on its promise.
In Hyderabad, MLAs, former ministers, public representatives and other BRS leaders, led by Sanathnagar MLA Talasani Srinivas Yadav and Quthbullapur MLA KP Vivekanada Goud, took part in the protest in front of the HMDA office at the Swarana Jayanthi Complex in Ameerpet.
BRS: Whither promises?
Addressing the protesters, Srinivas Yadav said the BRS was protesting against the dual stance of the Congress government on the LRS issue.
He said the Congress government, which had earlier promised free LRS, should fulfil it. Expressing concern that the government would impose financial burden on 25 lakh families in the state who applied for LRS, the former minister said a huge burden of Rs 20,000 crore would be thrust on the economically disadvantaged people.
Protests were also held at the GHMC head office and places in the city.
Congress’ counter-protest
In response, Congress corporators staged a demonstration in front of the GHMC head office.
They said that from 1.5 lakh applications in 2015, it has gone up to more than 25 lakh by 2020. “Why were the LRS applications not processed by the BRS when it was in power? They have made the state bankrupt,” Congress floor leader in GHMC D Raja Shekhar Reddy said.