HYDERABAD: Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Sunday said he would deliver a PowerPoint presentation on March 13 detailing the first phase of the Musi Riverfront Development Project.
Addressing International Women’s Day celebrations here, he said structures built within 50 metres of the buffer zone of the Musi River have “zero value” as they cannot be sold legally.
He stressed that Hyderabad must grow to international standards and compete with global cities such as Seoul, New York and Tokyo.
Revanth said some people were demanding the rejuvenation of the Musi but were simultaneously opposing the government’s efforts to implement the project. “How can the river be revived if the government is not allowed to implement an action plan?” he asked.
Recalling similar projects elsewhere, the chief minister said nearly 10,000 families were relocated during the development of the Sabarmati Riverfront in Ahmedabad, but adequate facilities were not provided to them. He also noted that riverfront projects had been developed along the Yamuna and Ganga rivers in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.
“When riverfront projects have been taken up across the country, why should the Musi riverfront project be opposed?” he asked.
Referring to a specific case, the chief minister said an apartment had been constructed within nine metres of the buffer zone of the Esa river. He reiterated that construction within 50 metres of river zones was prohibited, which prompted the government to initiate discussions with residents of an apartment complex falling within the Musi buffer zone.
According to him, the government offered seven acres of land and assured residents that funds would be deposited to help them construct a new apartment complex. However, he alleged that some political parties were trying to give the issue a political colour.
“Merely expressing sympathy will not solve the problem. We are trying to provide an alternative, but some leaders are politicising the issue,” he said.
The chief minister explained that the apartment was constructed in 2004, while the government amended the law in 2012 to demarcate buffer zones for nalas, tanks and rivers. Nearly 50 per cent of the building that is being evicted falls within the buffer zone, he said. He added that the government would take a broader decision on structures that had come up within the 50-metre buffer zones of rivers across the state.
Gandhi statue will cost only Rs 70 cr: Revanth
Refuting allegations that the government was spending `5,000 crore to install a statue of Mahatma Gandhi near the Musi, Revanth clarified that the statue would cost about `70 crore. The total project cost, including the proposed Gandhi Vignan Kendra, was estimated at around `200 crore.
E-scooters for girl students
The CM also said the government was planning to provide electric two-wheelers to college-going girl students. “It may not be possible in this financial year, but scooties will be given to girl students soon,” he said, adding that the initiative was aimed at encouraging EVs and reducing pollution.
Revanth further said the government intended to bring legislation to establish an authority to examine complaints against social media platforms that spread false information. He pointed out that regulatory mechanisms already existed for print and electronic media but not for social media.
The issue would be debated in the Assembly before introducing the legislation, he said, adding that there was a clear difference between professional journalists and those conducting other activities in the guise of journalism.
Lauding the contribution of women, the chief minister said the Special Intelligence Bureau (SIB), headed by a woman officer, had played a key role in the surrender of about 700 Maoists in recent times. He also noted that women had become owners of nearly 1,000 RTC buses and that self-help group (SHG) women were producing about 1,000 MW of power. The state government has also signed an agreement with Amazon to market products made by SHG women, he added.
The chief minister further announced that a residential colony would be designed for MPs, MLAs, MLCs and journalists in the proposed Future City Hyderabad.