Hyderabad: Did the previous BRS government hand over sensitive land revenue data to a private company, and did this information end up with entities like Pegasus? Did this act amount to an economic offense? These were the questions raised by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy during a discussion on the Bhu Bharati initiative in the Assembly on Friday.
Revanth criticized the Dharani Portal, stating that it was not an original idea developed by former Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao but was instead inspired by the e-Dharani scheme implemented in Odisha. He alleged that the previous government modified it to serve their own agenda.
The Chief Minister revealed that the BRS government had handed over the Dharani Portal project to IL&FS Company, despite objections raised by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) in 2014 about the company’s lack of relevant experience. He questioned why the contract was still awarded to this company.
Revanth further alleged that IL&FS was linked to Gade Sridhar Raju, a close associate of KTR. He claimed that after the contract was awarded, the company changed its name to Terrasis. He added that 99% of Terrasis’ shares were later acquired by a Philippine-based company, Falcon SG, in two phases in 2021, while the remaining 1% stayed with Gade Sridhar Raju, who became the CEO.
The Chief Minister also expressed concern over the involvement of companies with foreign roots, including entities in tax havens like the Cayman Islands and Virgin Islands, which are often associated with financial crimes. He said that none of the companies managing the Dharani Portal were Indian.
Revanth alleged that Telangana farmers’ land details were handed over to foreign entities under the pretense of creating a digital portal. He claimed this amounted to a betrayal of the people by the KCR government, as the farmland data was entrusted to companies involved in financial crimes abroad.
The CM further revealed that the work related to the Dharani Portal was not carried out in Telangana but in northeastern states. He accused KCR and KTR of violating laws that mandate the confidentiality of personal information, calling it a serious crime to share such data with outsiders without the consent of the individuals concerned.
Revanth also alleged that thousands of acres of land were transferred in districts such as Rangareddy, Sangareddy, Siddipet, and Medak. He claimed that the organization managing the portal had unrestricted authority to change land ownership records at will, further raising concerns about misuse of power.
