Kishan faults Telangana govt, says land sold to fill coffers

HYDERABAD: Union minister and state BJP president G. Kishan Reddy accused the state government of misusing its power and selling land to benefit BRS politically in the upcoming polls. Even assigned land given to Dalits and tribals by earlier governments is being forcibly taken over, he alleged.

The government does not have land for its own programmes like double-bedroom houses but strategically located land parcels were being sold to raise money. The government had raised '7,000 crore but was eyeing more land auctions. “It is giving land to big businessmen. K.T. Rama Rao had opposed the similar sale of land by the YSR government during the Telangana agitation,” he pointed out.  

Kishan Reddy said the government was denying land to projects taken up by the Centre, including building a road to the Cherlapally railway station. The government gave only half an acre for the tribal museum though the Centre wanted 20 acres, and there was no reply to a request of 25 acres for Science City.

Instead, the BRS government had allotted 11 acres for the ruling party and the Congress 10 acres. “We will cancel these allocations once we come to power. The land deal makes it clear the BRS and the Congress are hand in glove,” the BJP leader said.

Earlier the BJP leader participated in a rally as part of the Azaadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav. He called on the people to unfurl the National Flag at their houses and asked for saplings should be planted in every Mandal across the state, he added.