BRS Seeks Comprehensive Rehabilitation of Musi Project Affected Families

Hyderabad:The BRS on Monday criticised the state government for rushing through the Musi riverfront project using provisions in the order it issued — GO No. 477 — with little or no consideration to those affected by the project.

In an open letter to Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, Dr Sravan Dasoju, senior BRS leader, said by forcibly evicting families along the river, the state government was violating the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation, and Resettlement (RFCTLARR) Act, 2013.

He said GO No. 477 undermines the state government's duty to implement the RFCTLARR Act, which was passed by the Congress government headed by the then Prime Minister Mahmohan Singh. “Instead of implementing the central Act, the state government has sought to create a ‘Livelihood Support Committee’ through GO No. 477, and that too was introduced only after demolitions began and this reflects the callous disregard of the state government towards the affected families,” Sravan said.

The state government's offer of double-bedroom homes for displaced families living on the riverbed is only partial rehabilitation, far from what the RFCTLARR Act, 2013 mandates, he added.

He demanded that the government withdraw GO No. 477 and immediately stop all demolitions, engage in meaningful dialogue with stakeholders, ensure transparency and consensus in project planning, and take up comprehensive rehabilitation and resettlement of the affected families.