Hyderabad's Industries and IT Minister, D Sridhar Babu, launched a sharp attack on the opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday, accusing them of deliberately creating confusion around the state's new industrial land policy. He warned that their actions could push Hyderabad towards a severe environmental crisis, drawing a parallel to Delhi's notorious pollution levels.
Political Drama Over Hyderabad's Industrial Land Policy
Addressing the media at Gandhi Bhavan, Minister Sridhar Babu asserted that the state government has not taken any decision to privatize government-owned land. He clarified that the Hyderabad Industrial Lands Transformation Policy (HILTP) merely imposes a conservation fee on industry-owned lands to ensure their productive use. The minister alleged a coordinated political campaign against the policy. "The BJP and BRS are opposing government decisions for political mileage and attempting to create confusion over HILTP," he stated.
He questioned the timing and intent of the opposition's criticism, pointing out a key inconsistency. "Why did the BJP not object when the previous BRS government allowed freeholding of leased lands in 2022? This is a drama being played jointly by the BJP and BRS. They remained silent earlier but are now raising objections only to provoke public sentiment," Babu alleged.
Inquiry into Previous BRS Govt's Land Conversions Announced
In a significant development, the minister announced that the government will order an inquiry into the conversion of industrial lands undertaken during the tenure of the previous BRS administration. He claimed that these conversions were carried out haphazardly, without a proper policy framework in place.
"Conversion was done without a policy. This benefited only a few people," Babu claimed. "The BRS government converted hundreds of acres of industrial land without a policy. It would be understandable if objections were raised after the guidelines for implementing the HILTP were issued."
Aiming for Productive Use and Addressing Concerns
Reiterating the core objective of the HILTP, the minister explained that it aims to ensure that industrial land within the Outer Ring Road (ORR) limits is put to productive use after industries shift outside, rather than lying idle. He noted that the Nacharam Industrial Association has already welcomed the new policy.
Babu emphasized that the government is open to addressing legitimate concerns. "Objections, if any, can be addressed once the operational guidelines are notified," he said, urging stakeholders to wait for the formal framework before jumping to conclusions.
Responding to allegations made by BRS working president K T Rama Rao (KTR), the minister issued a challenge. "KTR can write letters to anyone, not just Rahul Gandhi. But if baseless allegations are made with the intention of maligning the government's image, we will not remain silent. Let KTR produce evidence for the allegations he has made," Minister Sridhar Babu concluded.
