Telangana CM defends Musi river project, hits out at opposition

Hyderabad, Oct 17 (IANS) Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Thursday defended the Musi Riverfront Development project saying it was aimed at rejuvenation of the river and not just its beautification. 

At a press conference, the Chief Minister lashed out at the opposition parties for what he called creating hurdles for a project which has been taken up by the government to give a dignified life to people living in the stench of the Musi by shifting and rehabilitating them.

Revanth Reddy mentioned that there is no other state capital in the country blessed with a river flowing through the middle of the town. The 300-kmg long Musi has a long and special history, he said.

Slamming Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leaders K. T. Rama Rao and Harish Rao and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Eatala Rajender, for opposing the Musi project, threw a challenge to them to stay in Musi for three months.

"If you stay in Musi for three months, I will scrap the project and will bear the legal expenses of this tender," he said.

He also hit back at the opposition leaders for claiming that the Musi project will cost Rs 1.50 lakh crore.

"The opposition is saying the Musi project costs Rs 1.50 lakh crore. This is not a Kaleshwaram project to swindle money," he said referring to the irrigation project built by the BRS government.

He revealed that a consortium of five companies has been selected to prepare a project report for the Musi project.

They will prepare plans for the revival of Musi, project cost estimations, and mobilization of funds from different agencies. They will submit a Detailed Project Report (DPR) in 18 months.

"The cost of the agreement entered by the government with these companies was only Rs 141 crore. Where did Rs 1.50 lakh crore come from?" he asked.

He pointed out that 33 teams visited the habitations along Musi and studied the problems of residents.

"We came to know the hardships faced by the poor who are living in miserable conditions in the stench," he said.

He said the government prepared plans to provide livelihood and support the poor living along the Musi. More than 1,600 houses were identified in the Musi bed and the government has sanctioned houses for people shifted from the river and also given them money.

He said 10,000 families in the buffer zone of Musi will also be rehabilitated.

The Chief Minister stated that some leaders are uttering something out of frustration after losing power. The "rulers in the previous government looted Telangana like bandits for 10 years and are now trying to stop the prestigious Musi revival project. The brains of the opposition leaders are filled with poison which is more dangerous than the dirt of Musi River".

He alleged that the previous government of BRS had forcefully evacuated people for the construction of Mallanna Sagar and Kondapochamma reservoirs. He dared the BRS leaders for a public debate on this.

Revanth Reddy also stated that a special session of the Assembly will be held to debate the Musi revival project. He appealed to leaders of the opposition parties to make suggestions to take the project forward. He requested the leaders of MIM, BJP, BRS, and Communist parties to express their doubts saying the government was ready to explain in writing.

He also urged them to give an action plan by Saturday.