HYDERABAD: Alleging that the state government was enacting a “high drama” in the name of HYDRAA action, Union Coal & Mines Minister G Kishan Reddy said that it was demolishing buildings instead of providing housing facilities for the poor people.
In an open letter to Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Thursday, Kishan accused the Hyderabad Disaster Management and Assets Monitoring and Protection Agency (HYDRAA) of demolishing houses of poor people and that too without following due procedure.
Asking the chief minister to reconsider the decision to raze structures owned by the poor, he said: “It is unfair on the part of state Cabinet to give not for according more powers to HYDRAA without addressing the concerns of the people.”
Kishan, who is also the president of the BJP’s state unit, alleged that the Congress government is following in the footsteps of the BRS government. “The BRS ruled the state without any planning and pushed it into debt. The Congress government is doing the same and started this demolition drive to divert people’s attention from its failures,” he said.
Kishan suggested that the demolitions be carried out in a fair and transparent manner and as per rules. “People obtained building permissions and paid taxes. The governments — both BRS and Congress — laid roads, developed drainage system, provided facilities like streetlights, water and electricity. Then why these structures are being demolished”, he asked.
Stating that in a democratic system there should be honesty, transparency, humanity and social responsibility, Kishan said: “Poor and middle class people use all their life savings and obtain loans to build houses. The government should come with a comprehensive plan and show an alternative to the affected people.”