In a shocking revelation that has sent political tremors across Telangana, BRS working president KT Rama Rao has exposed what he calls "one of the biggest land scams in independent India" through the state government's recently introduced Hyderabad Industrial Land Transformation Policy (HILTP).
The Allegations: A Systematic Loot of Public Wealth
KTR made these grave accusations in an open letter addressed to Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Sunday. The BRS leader expressed deep concerns that "this highly corrupt policy raised serious suspicions" across the state and questioned whether the Congress leadership was aware of the irregularities or deliberately choosing to remain silent.
The core of the allegation revolves around the policy enabling private companies to acquire highly valuable government land at nominal prices. KTR warned that this could potentially cost the people of Telangana a staggering Rs 5 lakh crore, making it one of the most significant financial scandals in recent history.
Historical Context vs New Policy Dangers
KTR provided crucial context by pointing out that previous governments had allocated approximately 9,300 acres of industrial land in key Hyderabad clusters including Balanagar, Jeedimetla, Sanathnagar, Uppal, Mallapur, Ramachandrapuram, and Hayathnagar.
These land parcels were initially provided at subsidized rates with the genuine intention of promoting industrial growth, employment generation, and long-term economic development. However, the new HILTP policy has completely changed this landscape.
Under the controversial new policy, KTR alleged that those holding industrial lands could now convert them into commercial or residential zones by paying only 30% of the sub-registrar office (SRO) value. This mechanism essentially enables the transfer of valuable public assets to private individuals at minimal cost, thereby regularizing land worth lakhs of crores at throwaway prices.
Questionable Approval Process and Hidden Agenda
The BRS leader raised serious doubts about the government's decision to grant fast-track approvals for the transfer of assets worth thousands of crores within just 45 days. He criticized the complete lack of transparency in such a hurried process, accusing the government of handing over these lands to private individuals without proper scrutiny, solely for monetary gain.
KTR stated that "the Congress government's haste and the hidden political corruption within this entire policy raise numerous questions" about the real intentions behind pushing through such a controversial policy without adequate debate or scrutiny.
Furthermore, the BRS leader accused the Congress government of having a "well-laid plan to plunder Telangana's wealth" valued in lakhs of crores, cleverly disguised under the pretext of relocating polluting industries outside the Outer Ring Road (ORR).
He questioned why the relocation wasn't made mandatory for all industries, pointing out that the process was instead voluntary, with the government making case-by-case decisions on land transfers. KTR highlighted the policy's critical failure to set any deadline for the relocation of existing industries or to clarify whether these industries would actually move.
"The policy was introduced purely for monetary gain, without identifying alternative locations for relocating industries or considering the implications of these land transfers," he emphasized in his letter.
The BRS leader issued a stark warning that instead of fostering new industrial development in Hyderabad city, there could be a massive increase in skyscrapers and commercial complexes replacing old industrial units, fundamentally altering the city's industrial character and depriving future generations of valuable industrial infrastructure.
