HYDERABAD: TPCC president B Mahesh Kumar Goud on Thursday hit back at the BRS over its criticism of the HILT Policy, accusing the party of “snatching livelihoods from the unemployed” during its decade-long rule.
He said the Congress government had introduced the policy to prevent Hyderabad from becoming a pollution-choked metropolis like Delhi.
Addressing a press conference at Gandhi Bhavan, Mahesh Goud said Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy formulated the HILT Policy with a clear vision to curb urban pollution and ensure that land prices remain accessible for ordinary citizens. Industrial units operating in the core of Hyderabad were major contributors to pollution, he pointed out. This, he said, was why the government decided to shift industries beyond the Outer Ring Road (ORR) and convert the vacated areas into residential zones.
The TPCC chief said that the process was being undertaken transparently and without favour. Questioning the silence of BJP leaders during what he described as the BRS’s 10-year “loot of Hyderabad”, he accused both parties of manufacturing needless controversy by twisting the chief minister’s metaphorical remarks.
The TPCC chief further alleged that the BJP “thrives politically by provoking people on caste and religious lines”.
Mahesh Goud also dismissed reports of dissatisfaction within the Congress over the appointment of District Congress Committee (DCC) presidents.
Earlier, the TPCC paid tributes to former chief minister K Rosaiah on his fourth death anniversary. Countering the BRS’ charge that the Congress was undermining regional sentiment, Mahesh Goud asked what was wrong with installing a statue of legendary playback singer SP Balasubrahmanyam at Ravindra Bharathi.
“Neither Rosaiah nor Balasubrahmanyam belonged to just one region,” he argued, calling the objections of the BRS an attempt to exploit sentiment for political gain.