HYDERABAD: BJP Legislature Party leader Alleti Maheshwar Reddy alleged that land scams and corruption had peaked under the Congress government and claimed Telangana was being “held hostage by four ministers and contractors”. He said the Congress, which came to power promising Bhu Bharathi, was now engaged in “Bhu Harathi”, or devouring lands.
Addressing the media at the state BJP headquarters, Maheshwar Reddy questioned why Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy had not made public the outcome of the forensic audit of the Dharani portal. He alleged that the findings were being used to arm-twist BRS leaders for vested interests.
He said land under Section 22A of the prohibited land list had increased from 10% to 30-40%, causing hardship to poor farmers and private landowners. Courts, he alleged, were also being kept in the dark about assigned, temple, wakf and forest lands, with consolidated details not being disclosed even to them.
Referring to Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka’s announcement that government, assigned, Waqf and Endowments lands worth Rs 2.5 lakh crore had been alienated, Maheshwar Reddy asked why not a single acre had been recovered.
He alleged that Srinivasa Reddy was violating “office of profit” rules, claiming companies linked to the minister were being awarded contracts in the Palamuru-Rangareddy and Narayanpet-Kodangal lift irrigation projects. He alleged that project costs had also been increased through revised estimates from Rs 1,450 crore to Rs 4,350 crore.
Maheshwar Reddy also asked how 12 acres of commercial land in Hitec City, which he valued at Rs 1,500 crore, and 41 acres in Kondapur, valued at Rs 1,600 crore to Rs 2,200 crore, were transferred to companies linked to the minister.