Hyderabad: Union Minister of Coal and Mines, and BJP State Chief, G Kishan Reddy, has criticized the Congress-led state government in Telangana for its ongoing demolition of houses belonging to poor people. He warned that if these actions continue, it could lead to the collapse of the state government and halt its operations.
Speaking to the media on Thursday, Kishan Reddy urged the state government to take the needs of the poor into consideration while forming policies, especially regarding the Hyderabad Development Authority (HYDRA). He pointed out that it has been over 10 months since the Congress government came to power, yet it has failed to prioritize the welfare of the poor.
Reddy emphasized that when a new government comes to power, its primary focus should be on benefiting the people, especially the underprivileged, by implementing welfare programs and projects. However, he criticized the Congress government for neglecting key sectors like education and healthcare. According to him, the government has not built any schools, nor has it made any progress in constructing houses for the poor.
He strongly condemned the state’s demolition of poor people’s homes, stating, “No government in the country has gone about demolishing the homes of the poor like this.” Reddy accused the Telangana government of following “thuggish policies” by using bulldozers to tear down these homes under the guise of beautification projects.
The BJP leader further warned that the state government would face serious consequences if it continued to intimidate poor residents. He reminded the media that the BJP had previously organized protests against the demolition of poor people’s houses and that he had personally written a letter to Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy asking him to reconsider these actions. According to Reddy, it is unjust for the Chief Minister to disregard the grievances of the public and continue demolishing their homes.
Kishan Reddy also criticized the government for labeling houses as “illegally constructed” without proper investigation. He demanded that the government immediately stop demolishing homes and instead focus on solving real issues, like improving the city’s drainage system.
Reddy pointed out that 70% of Hyderabad’s drainage water ends up in the Musi River, creating serious problems in many neighborhoods. Instead of addressing these issues, the state government is spending Rs 1.50 lakh crore on beautifying the Musi River. He suggested that Rs 50,000 crore from this budget should be used to build homes for the poor instead.
He also mentioned that while the state is focused on beautifying the Musi River, it should first solve the city’s drainage problems and protect citizens from floods by constructing pipelines. He suggested the government build a retaining wall along both sides of the Musi River before initiating any beautification projects.
The BJP State Chief further alleged that HYDRA, a key development authority in Hyderabad, was created by Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and that the organization is protecting wealthy individuals and real estate companies who have illegally occupied public lands. He claimed that HYDRA should first target these powerful entities, including the demolition of Owaisi’s Fatima College, which he claims was built illegally.
Finally, Reddy accused Congress leaders of looting the state by imposing illegal taxes, such as the so-called “RG TAX” and “RR-TAX,” which are allegedly being collected from real estate businesses. He called for an end to these corrupt practices.
