HYDERABAD: BRS MLA T Harish Rao on Friday alleged that the state government had identified 10,017 properties spread across 3,279 acres for acquisition as part of the proposed Musi Riverfront Development Project.
Addressing media persons here, he demanded that the government provide clear answers on its plans.
He said the BRS had never opposed the revival or purification of the Musi river, but objected to the demolition of houses in the name of its beautification.
He recalled that the previous BRS government under K Chandrashekar Rao had first initiated plans to rejuvenate the Musi. According to him, the government had proposed 32 Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) at an estimated cost of `4,000 crore and also prepared plans to bring water from the Godavari river to improve the Musi’s flow and facilitate purification.
Alleging large-scale spending under the current proposal, Harish Rao said the government was pushing a `1.5 lakh crore project while also spending heavily on events, advertisements and luxury facilities.
Citing a state government gazette notification, he claimed that 10,017 structures across 3,279 acres along the river had been marked for demolition. This, he said, could potentially affect nearly one lakh people.
Disputing the government’s claim that the Asian Development Bank (ADB) had sanctioned Rs 4,100 crore for the project, Harish Rao said communications from the bank indicated that only the Detailed Project Report (DPR) had been submitted and that the loan had not yet been approved.
He further recalled that in the Assembly in January, Chief Minister Revanth Reddy had stated that preparing the DPR for the Musi project from Himayatsagar to Bapu Ghat would take 18 months. “If the DPR itself is not ready, on what basis were notices issued, houses demolished, and a gazette notification issued stating that 10,017 structures would be removed?” Harish Rao asked.
The BRS leader also sought clarity on the buffer zone along the Musi. Earlier governments had proposed limits of nine metres or 30 metres, whereas the present government is speaking of 100 metres, he said, questioning the scientific basis for the new figure. “If there is a scientific study behind this decision, it should be made public,” he demanded.
Harish Rao also referred to the demolition of around 300 houses in Chaderghat, asking what compensation was provided to the affected families under the Land Acquisition Act.