KTR’s Claims Are Blatant Lies: Sridhar Babu

He questioned whether the BRS government had issued three GOs in August 2023 granting tenure rights (ownership rights) over leased lands to industries.

Addressing a press conference at the Secretariat on Friday, Sridhar Babu countered KTR’s accusations with detailed facts: Of the 9,292 acres mentioned by KTR, only 4,740 acres were allocated to industries after proper planning. The remaining land was used for basic infrastructure such as roads and drainage systems.

These allocations were not made in one day. They were made for several decades to stimulate industrial development.

It was the BRS government that granted title rights for industrial lands in Ameerpet, Kukatpally and Hafeezpet. The Ministry of Industry and Trade published GO Bayan 19, 20 and 21 on August 29, 2023.

The current government currently only offers an option for conversion of these lands; As approved at the Cabinet meeting on the 17th of this month, coup fees were fixed at 30 percent and 50 percent slices.

“You gave the property rights just four months before the 2023 elections. How many thousand crores did you raise then?” Sridhar Babu asked. He said BRS leaders hid these GOs while making false accusations against the government.

He added that KTR was shaken after the Jubilee Hills by-election defeat. Their party’s media machinery misled people by predicting a massive victory, and now the same outlets are trying to portray a non-existent scam that the public is not willing to believe.

If any fraud has occurred, it has been during their administration. The BRS government has mandated industries to pay 100 percent of the registered value for property rights and 200 percent if these properties change hands.

“They need to explain how they gave ownership rights to land that has already changed hands,” he said. The current government has only allowed those with existing valid property rights to apply for land use conversion.

After numerous consultations with industry bodies, the Special Chief Secretary and the Industrial Commissioner jointly proposed the 30 per cent and 50 per cent slabs.

Sridhar Babu condemned KTR’s statement that the Prime Minister’s family members had signed agreements: “None of them have any position in the government. It is unacceptable for a person who has been a minister for a decade to indulge in such wild allegations. If he has evidence, let him produce it and the government will act accordingly.”

The government expects revenue of Rs 4,000 to Rs 5,000 Billion from conversion impact fees and this is only possible if all eligible applicants apply. Those who do not have property rights cannot apply for conversion.

The minister said the current administration has spent the last two years correcting the financial mismanagement inherited from the previous regime while implementing welfare programmes.

He accused the BRS of trying to derail Chief Minister Revanth Reddy’s efforts to strengthen the state’s finances. “We are working to transform Hyderabad into a global city.” He said the opposition’s cooperation was welcomed but misleading campaigns and scare tactics must stop.

The government has consistently stated that industries within the ORR limits will be shifted outside to reduce air and water pollution.

He noted that many states are offering industrial land at prices as low as 99 paise per acre, along with 20-year exemptions on electricity and taxes. However, Telangana’s land values ​​are higher and availability is limited. Still, the government is trying to create a very supportive industrial ecosystem.

Industries and IT companies are providing employment and fueling economic growth, and the government is determined to ensure that the state continues on this path.