Land Scams Due To Previous Governments: TRS

Telangana Minister for Irrigation and Marketing T Harish Rao today slammed the opposition parties for "over-playing" the land scams being exposed in the media over the past few days, and claimed that the scams were due to the inefficient and lopsided policies of previous governments and not due to the TRS.

Addressing a press conference at the TRS Legislature Party office, Rao flayed the Congress for launching the "Anywhere Registration" scheme for lands, claiming that that was what led to the scams. He said that far from being involved in the alleged irregularities, the TRS government had in fact cancelled the scheme.

He also denied that the government had lost any land, and said that not even a single rupee was lost by the exchequer in the Miyapur land scam. He claimed that in fact the TRS had itself made public the Miyapur irregularities, but that the Congress, the Telugu Desam Party and the BJP were raising a hue and cry just to make it appear like the TRS had a role in it.

He specifically ridiculed the Congress, saying that a party which was known for scams and looting public money needed to be particularly brazen to make allegations of corruption against others. He pointed out land scams including those involving Emaar properties, Raheja and Bhudan lands, assigned lands during Rajashekhar Reddy's rule and former minister Ponnala Lakshmaiah grabbing SC lands in Warangal that had taken place during the Congress rule. He threw a challenge to Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee chief N Uttam Kumar Reddy to prove any involvement of the TRS in alleged Miyapur land scams, and said that if the latter failed, he should rub his nose to the ground at the Abids centre.

Rao said that his government was now planning to make an amendment to the existing land acts to check duplicate registrations of lands and take stringent measures against those indulging in irregularities.

"We will disclose the misdeeds of leaders who are mudslinging against the government from tomorrow," he warned. "Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao will not spare any political party if any one of its leaders is found guilty in the scams. The government is serious on such issues, and will take stringent measures against those involved in such irregularities."

Rao alleged that these scams had happened since Congress and Telugu Desam Party governments had ruled the combined state for 60 years but had failed to bring in a proper policy to protect the lands in the state. KCR was now focusing on the land scams and would take the necessary steps to avoid repeats including strengthening the land act through an amendment, he said.