"Rahejas Exploiting Nacharam Land"

Minister for Textiles and Small Scale Industries P Shankar Rao reiterated his charges against the Raheja Group, saying that the company is determined to construct domestic housing complexes in the Nacharam Industrial area.

The Minister, in a letter to the Chief Minister, which was circulated to the press, stated that land was scarce in the industrial belt of Nacharam and its adjoining areas, but that the Raheja group has occupied around 26 acres which was originally allotted to a tractor company by the APIIC.

"Now the Raheja Group is determined to construct domestic housing complexes in the industrial area," Shankar Rao alleged.

"About 300 acres was assigned to 80 people in Nacharam and Cherlapally, 30 years ago. Currently, over 1,000 industries have come up around the said land, which is worth over Rs. 1,000 crore," he said in his letter.

The Minister suggested that the assigned land be developed and flats be raised for allotment to the said members.

He also made a challenge that he would see to it that weavers' loans would be waived, provided applications from borrowers came in 3 days.

Turning his attention to a report published in the Jagan-run newspaper Sakshi, Shankar Rao criticized YSR Congress Party president Y S Jaganmohan Reddy and the newspaper for carrying erroneous reports pf details of the loan waiver during and after the rule of former chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy.

He emphasised that during the Telugu Desam Party reign, the loan waiver was to the extent of Rs. 30 crore, while former chief minister K Rosaiah had waived off Rs. 85 crore, and the current N Kiran Kumar Reddy government has waived Rs. 297 crore as against a paltry sum during Dr. YSR's rule. (INN)