Musi project a cover for real estate biz, not for rejuvenation: Harish Rao

HYDERABAD

Former Minister and Deputy Floor Leader of BRS in the Assembly T. Harish Rao alleged that the Congress government is pushing the Musi River Front project without any clear policy, detailed project report, finalisation of maximum flood level, environmental clearances or social impact assessment.

He along with former Minister P. Sabitha Indra Reddy, MLAs Devireddy Sudheer Reddy and Madhavaram Krishna Rao met the families of Madhu Park Apartments facing eviction in the name of the Musi River Front Project here on Sunday.

The BRS leader sought to know under what law homes were being vacated, when statutory approvals were still not secured for the project. He condemned the State government’s actions and accused Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy of using the Musi project as a cover for his real estate interests.

Recalling the previous government’s approach, Mr. Harish Rao said the BRS government had focused on cleaning the Musi by building STPs (sewerage treatment plants) and preparing DPRs to bring Godavari water into the river without displacing a single family.

He alleged that every major decision of the present Chief Minister was driven by land deals and real estate business. The Musi project was now being used to take over prime lands and hand them over to private real estate interests, he alleged.

He made it clear that BRS was not against cleaning and rejuvenating the Musi, but was firmly opposed to demolishing poor and middle-class families’ homes in the name of development. He asked the government to build STPs, stop sewage inflow, use Godavari water to clean the river and not to destroy people’s lives.