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The Telangana Assembly witnessed a heated exchange on Friday as Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy accused the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) of deliberately avoiding a debate on the Telangana Bhu Bharati (Record of Rights in Land) Bill, 2024. Reddy asserted that the BRS’s reluctance stemmed from a desire to conceal alleged large-scale land scams perpetrated during their tenure. He painted a picture of a deeply flawed system, highlighting the Dharani portal – the online land records management system – as the central piece of this alleged fraudulent scheme. The CM's accusations directly implicated K.T. Rama Rao (KTR), the working president of the BRS and son of former Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, as a key figure involved in these alleged land irregularities.
Reddy's address centered around the supposed irregularities within the Dharani portal and the associated Record of Rights (RoR) Act. He contended that the system, implemented by the previous BRS government, facilitated widespread land transaction improprieties. A particularly damning allegation was that the management of the state's crucial land records was entrusted to companies based in tax havens, raising serious questions about transparency and accountability. He explicitly stated that these companies, allegedly linked to KTR, parked land data in these locations, posing significant security threats to Telangana's land records. The move to transfer the management of Dharani to the National Informatics Centre (NIC), a central government agency, further underscores the severity of the concerns surrounding the previous management practices.
The Chief Minister's speech also touched upon the conspicuous absence of former Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao from the Assembly during the crucial debate. This absence, according to Reddy, was particularly noteworthy given KCR's past pronouncements boasting about his instrumental role in designing and implementing the Dharani Act. The contrast between KCR's past claims of expertise and his absence during the debate surrounding alleged flaws in the system fuelled the Congress party's accusations of impropriety. Reddy went further, suggesting that the BRS members' disruptive tactics during the debate – focusing on the Formula-E race issue instead of the land rights bill – were deliberate attempts to obstruct a proper discussion and avoid exposing the alleged scams.
Beyond the land records issue, Reddy briefly addressed the Formula-E race contract, which he alleged involved irregularities. He claimed that while the plan was to pay ₹600 crore to the Formula-E company, only ₹55 crore had been paid before the Congress party assumed power. He implied that a full inquiry was needed to trace the money's flow, strongly suggesting that further irregularities are likely to be uncovered. Reddy’s strategic decision to limit his direct engagement on this aspect, given his dual roles as the Home and Municipal Administration Minister, hinted at a calculated approach to avoid legal challenges from KTR, whom he repeatedly implicated as the central figure in the alleged land scam. The Chief Minister concluded by reiterating his government's willingness to engage in a debate on the Formula-E issue, suggesting an open invitation to the BRS, regardless of the venue.
The accusations made by the Chief Minister have ignited significant political turmoil in Telangana. The BRS, naturally, is expected to vehemently refute these allegations. However, the gravity of the accusations, coupled with the transfer of Dharani's management to the NIC, points towards a potentially substantial investigation into the alleged land scams. The upcoming response from the BRS, and any subsequent investigations launched by the government, will be crucial in determining the validity of the claims and the extent of any irregularities within the Dharani portal and the Formula-E contract. The situation highlights the need for greater transparency and accountability in government processes, particularly those involving large sums of public money and crucial state assets such as land records. The ongoing developments in this case will undoubtedly shape the political landscape of Telangana in the coming months.
Source: BRS ducked debate on Bhu Bharati Bill fearing getting exposed on Dharani deals: CM