HYDERABAD: BRS leader and former minister T Harish Rao on Monday asked the government to not collect fee for land regularisation scheme (LRS) from the poor.
In an open letter to Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, Harish Rao wanted him to honour the assurance he made during the elections by implementing the Land Regularisation Scheme (LRS) free of cost.
“Farmers are already suffering from unfulfilled promises like loan waiver and delays in Rythu Bandhu payments. People are also struggling with rising medical costs due to fever outbreaks. Instead of helping them, your government is pressurising officials, from Collectors to Panchayat secretaries ,to collect LRS fee. These officials are harassing people with constant calls, threatening to cancel layouts if fees are not paid. Trying to collect `15,000 crore in this manner is unfair,” Harish said in his letter to the CM.
The BRS leader recalled that Uttam Kumar Reddy, Dansari Anasuya alias Seethakka and Revanth Reddy, while in Opposition, assured that the Congress, if voted to power, would not collect any fee for regularising lands under LRS. They issued statements like ‘BRS is finished and LRS is also finished. No BRS and No LRS,” he recalled.
Harish said that Komatireddy Venkat Reddy even went to the high court and filed a PIL demanding the cancellation of LRS.
“After misleading and inciting the public with grand speeches during the elections, you and your ministers have now backtracked on your stand and decided to collect LRS fee, which reflects your duplicity. Imposing `15,000 crore worth of LRS charges on the poor and middle-class people of the state is a testament to your government’s failure to govern and keep promises,” he said and added that over 25.44 lakh applicants were in dismay due to this attitude of the government.
“We call upon the people not to pay a single rupee as LRS fees as a strong rebuke to this government that has failed to keep its word. The BRS will take full responsibility to exert pressure on the Congress government to implement LRS without any charges,” Harish added.