Hyderabad: Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka on Friday, May 8, assured support to the residents who will be displaced due to the Musi River Rejuvenation project in Hyderabad. Bhatti’s words of support came when representatives of the Madhu Park Ridge Association met him during the Praja Bhavan, where he appealed with them to cooperate with the government.
“Deputy CM Bhatti Vikramarka has assured that the government will extend full support to those who may be displaced as part of the Musi River Rejuvenation Project. He emphasized that assistance will be provided in a lawful and fair manner,” he said, according to a statement from his office.
Bhatti Vikramarka, who is also the Musi Rejuvenation Cabinet Sub-Committee’s Chairman, along with minister Duddilla Sridhar Babu, met representatives of the Madhu Park Ridge (B-Block) Residential Association. The association representatives submitted their requests and concerns to the ministers due to the impending displacement.
Massive Gandhi state planned
The state government plans to construct a massive Gandhi statue along the Musi river’s basin as part of the rejuvenation project. “The ministers addressed and clarified the doubts and apprehensions expressed by the residents,” stated the release from the Telangana Deputy CM’s office. He also said that the government is taking a “very positive approach” towards the residents.
“He urged the residents to cooperate and become partners in this prestigious project, which aims to provide clean air, water, and greenery to city dwellers. The association representatives responded positively to the government’s assurances and expressed their willingness to extend their support to the Musi rejuvenation effort,” added the statement.
The meeting was attended by association president Dodda Srinivas Reddy, secretary GV Shekhar, and members Satyanarayana, Gautam Roy, Sahil Khan and others. From the government side, Musi Project MD E.V. Narsimha Reddy, Joint MD Gautami, Additional Collector Chandra Reddy, and other officials were present.
HRF demands rollback of Musi project
Earlier, the Human Rights Forum (HRF) has demanded that the state government withdraw its plans to construct the Gandhi Sarovar Project under the Musi Riverfront Development Project’s phase 1 work, suggesting it to beautify the premises of the Gandhi Memorial spread across 68 acre at Bapughat instead.
The HRF submitted its opinions on the proposed Musi Riverfront Development Project in a letter to Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka, IT and Industries Minister D Sridhar Babu and BC Welfare Minister Ponnam Prabhakar on Wednesday, April 15.
Pointing out that all these structures were built with proper permissions from the government in the past, the group noted that demolishing them would be nothing but a “violation of the law.” HRF recalled the forceful demolition of bastis in Chaderghat in 2024 after hurriedly conducting surveys, while relocating 340 families and giving them some relief.
“Government reports themselves have detailed that, for the construction of Phases 1A and 1B currently being undertaken, families residing in approximately 1,200 permanent houses will be displaced, while nearly 1,500 other families will be subjected to adverse impacts,” HRF underlined.
