Hyderabad: The working president of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), KT Rama Rao (KTR), stated that the Musi Riverfront Development Project can only be completed with a budget of Rs 25,000 crore, rather than the initially proposed Rs 141 crore.
He claimed that designs made by nine reputed companies were ready and that there was no need for spending and wasting the taxpayers’ money.
While presenting the achievements of the BRS government regarding the Musi Riverfront development, KTR noted that former chief minister K Chandrashekhar opted not to disturb the structures within the Musi River’s buffer zone due to the displacement of 100,000 people.
Instead, he proposed increasing the height of the retaining walls of the Musi River, similar to the approach taken in the Sabarmati riverfront development in Ahmedabad.
KTR outlined the five key initiatives implemented by the BRS government to revitalize the Musi River since 2017. He mentioned that Rs 3,866 crore was allocated for the installation of 31 sewage treatment plants (STPs) along the nalas, with a total capacity to treat 1,259 million litres per day. He added that 90 percent of this work has already been completed under the BRS administration.
He pointed out that the BRS government had sanctioned the project to fill the Osmansagar reservoir with Godavari water from the Kondapochamma reservoir for Rs 1,100 crore, which would enable clean water to flow in the Musi river.
He also said that the BRS government had sanctioned 15 bridges to be constructed across the Musi and Esa Rivers, for which Rs 545 crore was allocated.
In a global competition that was held during the BRS government, KTR said that nine reputed companies had submitted their designs for the Musi project, among which chief minister A Revanth Reddy could choose, instead of wasting Rs 141 crore for new project designs.
KTR questions the cancellation of SNDP Phase 2
KTR also claimed that Rs 985.65 crore was spent on the strategic nala development programme (SNDP Phase 1) after the Musi floods in 2020 October, due to which flooding of water in many areas was contained. KTR questioned why the Congress government chose to cancel the SNDP Phase 2 project after coming to power, which could have been completed at Rs 5,000 crore.
“We also proposed an expressway connecting the western outer-ring road and the eastern outer-ring road, which could have been constructed at Rs 10,000 crore, which would improve urban mobility, for which planning and designs have been prepared already” he noted.
KTR also mentioned that 5 km of Musi riverfront beautification was taken up in Nagole and Uppal Bhagayath, by constructing open gyms, walking-track and landscaping of parks.
“Everything has been served to Revanth Reddy on a plate. All he needs to do is take our work to the next level. It would at the maximum cost Rs 25,000 crore to complete the project. Why is he bent on spending Rs 1.5 lakh crore? Just because he needs to send loads of money to Rahul Gandhi in Delhi,” KTR asked.
KTR reaffirms stance on Meinhardt for Musi Project
KTR once again alleged that Meinhardt was a shady company which was embroiled in scams whether it was in Pakistan for escalating the cost of Ravi Riverfront Development in Lahore, for which a red-corner notice was issued against the company’s promoters, and the Lahore Development Authority had also black-listed that company.
KTR also said that the Airport Authority of India has debarred Meinhardt, and pointed out that the Jharkhand government which is an ally of the Congress has also black-listed it, seeking a CBI inquiry on that company.
BRS gave permission, but not Damagundam forest land
When asked about why BRS government gave permissions to the Centre for the very low-frequency navy radar station project in Damagundam forest, KTR said that though it was true that permissions were given in 2017, not an inch of land was handed over to the Centre by the BRS while it was in power.
On CM Revanth’s allegations of BRS’ scams
In response to Revanth Reddy’s accusation of a scam involving the compensation of Musi flood victims at Rs 10,000 per household in 2020, KTR stated that Revanth was welcome to investigate not only that matter but also the Congress party’s failure to fulfil its promise of providing Rs 17,500 per household to the victims of the Khammam floods this year.
“Revanth Reddy has raised a significant outcry over issues like the Kokapet land scam and the Rs 1 lakh crore ORR toll scam. He has been in charge for the past ten months. What’s stopping him from launching an inquiry? KTR remarked.
KTR questions Revanth’s fluctuating Musi Project estimates
In response to Revanth Reddy’s assertion during his press conference that the state government has not determined a project cost and that he never referred to the Musi rejuvenation project as “beautification,” KTR showcased videos of Revanth estimating the project’s cost at Rs 50,000 crore in April and Rs 1.5 lakh crore on July 20, during the Gopanpally flyover inauguration.
KTR noted that the Sabarmati Riverfront Development was completed for Rs 7,000 crore, while the Namami Gange project, spanning 2,400 km, cost Rs 40,000 crore. He emphasized, “The state government plans to spend Rs 1.5 lakh crore on just 55 km of the Musi Riverfront development. We support the beautification and restoration of the Musi, but we won’t endorse the ‘lootification’ of the river.”
