HYDERABAD: It and Industries Minister KT Rama Rao alleged that TPCC chief A Revanth Reddy was running a special office with retired tahsildars and others on Rangareddy and Hyderabad lands and blackmailing the government and private persons.
Responding to Congress member D Sridhar Babu’s statement that the Congress, if voted to power, would scrap the Dharani portal, Rama Rao said that those resorting to shady land deals were facing troubles with portal.
During a debate on demands for grants in the State Legislative Assembly on Thursday, Rama Rao said: “State Congress has one president. I do not want to take his name. He says that he would blow up Pragathi Bhavan and resorts to blackmailing. He is using Right to Information (RTI) as a route to income. In the name of RTI, he is doing businesses."
"He is running a separate office on Hyderabad and Rangareddy lands. Those who are maintaining the separate office and blackmailing government and private persons and collecting crores of rupees will face problems due to Dharani. But, there should not be any problems for leaders like Sridhar Babu,” Rama Rao said.
The minister said that Sridhar Babu was a learned person and was a good friend. Due to the friendship, he was making sweeping remarks against Dharani and the government, Rama Rao quipped. “Is it the policy of Congress to scrap Dharani and blow up Pragathi Bhavan?” Rama Rao asked.
BRS stalls Parl proceedings for 6th day seeking JPC probe into Adani scam
Congress member Sridhar Babu alleged that the government acquired lands for Hyderabad Pharma City from farmers by paying `8 lakh per acre and was selling the same to industrialists for `1.30 crore per acre.
Refuting the allegation, Minister Rama Rao stated that the government had not allotted any land so far in the proposed Pharma City.
“Sridhar Babu should withdraw his remarks and tender an apology. Otherwise, the Speaker should expunge Sridhar Babu’s remarks from the records,” he said.
Roads and Buildings Minister Vemula Prasanth Reddy termed launch of Dharani portal a ‘revolutionary’ step. Around 24 lakh people, who register their lands on Dharani were very happy, he said. He alleged that the Congress was threatening to scrap Dharani as it is conspiring to bring back the role of middlemen in land transactions.
Participating in the debate, MIM member Akbaruddin Owaisi asked the government what happened to the CB-CID probe into the Waqf properties. He demanded appointment of a Muslim on the TSPSC. He urged the State government to start a scheme for Muslim entrepreneurs.
The BRS stalled the proceedings in both Houses of Parliament for the sixth consecutive day on Thursday demanding Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into Adani scam. Later, BRS MPs K Keshava Rao and Nama Nageswara Rao along with other MPs staged a protest near the Gandhi statue on the premises of Parliament. They demanded a debate on the Adani scam in both Houses.