BRS Leaders Indulging In Illegal Sand Mining: Revanth Reddy

TPCC president A Revanth Reddy today alleged that Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, ministers and ruling party MLAs were indulging in illegal sand mining and wine businesses in the State.

He alleged that the sand mafia was particularly strong in minister K T Rama Rao's Assembly constituency Sircilla, and was causing several crores of losses to the State exchequer.

Addressing party workers as part of his ongoing Haath Se Haath Jodo padayatra, he alleged that the father of Rajya Sabha MP Santosh Kumar was indulging in illegal sand mining using benami names in Tanugula village of the Huzurabad Assembly constituency. He said that Congress leaders had visited the "illegal" sand quarry on behalf of the fact-finding committee of the party, and had found that sand mining was still being carried out at the site using massive poclain machines.

He also alleged that the local officials were extending all possible support to the ruling party leaders, and that the officials were not accessible when the Congress leaders tried to talk with them.

Targeting local MLA Eatala Rajender, Reddy asked the former what he was doing when such a huge amount of illegal sand mining was going on in his constituency. He alleged that Eatala was remaining silent on the issue as part of a secret understanding between the BRS and the BJP.

Reddy also asked the Telangana BJP president Bandi Sanjay Kumar, who was the local MP, why Eatala and he did not approach the National Green Tribunal against the illegal sand mining.

Reddy said that the Congress would fight against the loot of public resources by the ruling party leaders, and that it would stand by the people of the State. He alleged that the BJP leaders were only clamouring for power in Telangana and not fighting for the public, and demanded that Eatala and Bandi respond on the illegal sand and granite loot by the BRS leaders.

Referring to the closing of the Kaleshwaram lift irrigation project, Reddy said that the illegal sand quarries were responsible for the flooding of the project.