HYDERABAD: Making it emphatically clear that none of his family members were related to the companies which former minister T Harish Rao has accused of grabbing land, Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy on Wednesday alleged that the BRS MLA was spreading malicious lies regarding land in Nadargul as “he did not receive a share”.
Srinivasa Reddy challenged BRS leaders to prove that his family members were stakeholders in any of the companies linked to the land. “If they can show any such link, I will accept responsibility. Otherwise, they must stop spreading lies,” he said.
Addressing a press conference at the Secretariat along with ministers Ponnam Prabhakar and Danasari Anasuya (Seethakka), Srinivasa Reddy challenged the BRS leadership to prove wrongdoing. He said, “If they can substantiate their allegations, I am ready to rub my nose on the ground.” He accused the BRS of attempting to deflect attention from its own corruption between 2014 and 2023.
How can you blame Cong govt for decisions of BRS regime, asks Ponguleti
The minister said the BRS government was responsible for key decisions in the Nadargul land issue. In 2014, land in Survey No. 613 of Nadargul village in Rangareddy district was registered in favour of three private firms, with mutations carried out in 2016 — both during the BRS regime. He questioned how the present Congress government could be blamed for those actions.
Citing what he described as documentary and satellite evidence, he said development activities such as fencing and road laying across the 373-acre parcel began between 2021 and 2022, before the current government assumed office. “Every stage is visible on Google Maps. These developments happened entirely during the previous regime,” he said.
He added that although a Special Leave Petition was filed in the Supreme Court in 2022, the then BRS government failed to file a counter affidavit. “It was only after our government came to power that we filed a counter in March 2025 and began pursuing the case seriously,” he said, adding that the present government was committed to protecting government land.
On the Vattinagulapally land, he said it was a private dispute within the Shah family with no government link. Part of the land had been acquired for the ORR, leading to disputes over the remaining shares. He alleged that certain real estate interests, linked to BRS leaders, were politicising the issue. He clarified that his son was only a partner in a company that had taken land for development, not ownership. “This is being deliberately misrepresented to create a political controversy,” he said.
Responding to allegations about a crusher unit at Kotwalguda, the minister said it had been operational since 2007 under a private individual who leased land from farmers. He said materials for infrastructure projects were sourced through legitimate commercial transactions, with no link between the unit and the companies targeted by the opposition.
He added that documents, including GST registrations and electricity bills, were available.
He accused BRS leaders of trying to malign the Congress government to shield their own alleged irregularities in land dealings and mining. He said a forensic audit into land transactions under the Dharani system had been initiated and irregularities would be exposed.
The minister also questioned the rise in assets of BRS leaders during their tenure and sought an explanation. He further alleged financial links between the BRS and private entities, stating that these would come under scrutiny.