HYDERABAD: Alleging that Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy’s house was placed on the Section 22-A prohibited list to deflect criticism, Union Minister G Kishan Reddy on Saturday sought a sitting judge-led inquiry into the issue.
Addressing the media, Kishan said the real estate sector was taking a hit. “Four lakh acres in Medchal and Rangareddy districts alone are under Section 22-A, showing the gravity of the situation. Why are legally constructed, tax-paid properties on the prohibited list? The CM, revenue minister and officials are blaming each other, while the aim appears to be creating litigation and extracting a cut to resolve them,” he said.
Kishan then turned to public property, alleging that the state government is helping private parties gain ownership by withholding documents from the courts. He cited the Telangana High Court’s observation on whether the Army had to be deployed to protect lands in Hyderabad as a sign of how serious the situation had become. Frequent transfers, he added, had left district collectors helpless.
The Union minister also raised questions over how new projects are cleared, alleging that NOCs and permissions require political approval and that HYDRAA acts only against Congress opponents. He asked whether future governments would have enough land for public purposes if the government continued selling land like the BRS.
Questioning the decision to print the chief minister and Civil Supplies minister’s photographs on ration cards, Kishan argued that the Centre’s logo should also feature, as the Union government bears a larger share of the cost of rice supplied through the PDS.
Turning to Revanth’s proposed US visit, Kishan questioned the priority given to it amid unresolved education issues. “Why is the state government not paying fee reimbursement dues to students? Many engineering colleges are shutting down. What happened to the 5 lakh Vidya Bharosa card which was promised?” he asked.
Kishan also raised concerns over Hyderabad’s falling voter count, attributing the decline to Revanth’s remarks about retaining votes in native villages. He said there was no link between ration cards and the location of a person’s property. “My own constituency has lost 9.38 lakh votes,” he said.
The Union minister also weighed in on the family register certificate, saying the Election Commission had rightly rejected it. The government, he added, could still use it for its own schemes.
