KTR protests against industrial land policy, accuses government of massive land scam

BRS Working President K. T. Rama Rao (KTR) has sharply criticized the Telangana government over its newly introduced “Hyderabad Industrial Lands Transformation Policy” (HILTP), calling it a blueprint for a massive land scam rather than a genuine policy.

Speaking at a protest organized by the BRS in Qutbullapur’s industrial area, KTR alleged that Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and his associates were trying to seize state lands worth around ₹5 lakh crore. He said the policy was designed to benefit a few private individuals rather than serve public or industrial needs.

KTR announced plans to organize cross-party meetings and public forums to explain the alleged scam to citizens, and warned that the BRS would take legal action if the government failed to withdraw the policy.

According to KTR, key industrial clusters in Hyderabad - including Balanagar, Jeedimetla, Sanathnagar, and Azamabad - comprise around 9,292 acres of government land. The current market value of these lands ranges from ₹40 crore to ₹50 crore per acre, totaling roughly ₹4.5-5 lakh crore. However, under the HILTP, the government plans to allocate these lands at only 30% of the official value (as determined by sub-registrar rates), KTR claimed.

He alleged that Revanth Reddy, a real estate businessman before becoming Chief Minister, was personally overseeing these land deals and that the policy was fast-tracked to benefit his family and associates.

Recalling legislation enacted during the BRS government, KTR said the state had previously mandated industrial land allocations to be priced 100-200% above official rates to prevent misuse. Any resale of government-allocated land required payment at double the standard rate. He criticized the current policy for drastically reducing the rate to just 30%, effectively transferring immense wealth to private hands.

KTR also questioned the unusually rapid approval of the HILTP. He noted that applications, approvals, and final regularizations were all scheduled within an exceptionally short timeframe, raising suspicions that deals had already been pre-arranged with selected developers. He accused the Congress government of fast-tracking the policy to make a few wealthy individuals richer rather than promote urban or industrial development.

KTR warned that any industrialist or developer acquiring land under the HILTP would face serious legal challenges in the future. He promised that once the BRS returned to power, the policy would be nullified, all allocations reversed, and strict action taken against those involved. “No one participating in this scam will be spared,” he said.

KTR urged the government to immediately withdraw the policy, calling it biased toward the wealthy. He also challenged the BJP to oppose the HILTP actively; otherwise, he claimed, it would indicate collusion between Congress and the BJP.