Cong accused of looting Rs 20K cr via LRS scheme

Hyderabad: Accusing the Congress government of looting Rs 20,000 crore from the people of Telangana through LRS, BRS working president KT Rama Rao on Monday demanded immediate regularisation of plots without charging any fees from the applicants. He also called for a protest on March 6 at all the district headquarters and GHMC.

During a press conference held at Telangana Bhavan, KTR reminisced about the Congress party’s previous assurance that there would be no requirement for LRS fees and that land regularisation would be conducted without charge. He raised concerns about the current silence of the Congress ministers, who had vehemently opposed LRS in the past. He emphasised that the Congress leaders, including Revanth Reddy, Bhatti Vikramarka, Seethakka, Komatireddy, and Uttamkumar Reddy, who spoke against LRS during the BRS government, should explain why they are silent now after coming to power.

Rao highlighted that 25.44 lakh people who applied for LRS would be burdened with at least Rs 1 lakh each, as the Congress government appears to be reneging on its promise.

The BRS leader played videos of the criticism done by congress leaders on LRS as a means to loot money from the people. He criticised the State government for compelling LRS applicants to settle their fees before March 31, likening it to “extracting blood from the populace.”

He specifically questioned Bhatti Vikramraka and Uttam Kumar Reddy, who previously asserted ‘no LRS, no BRS,’ and demanded an explanation for the apparent contradiction.

Venting ire against the Congress party leaders and ministers, Rao announced protest programmes across the State on March 6. These programmes will include dharnas in every constituency and special protests in Hyderabad, particularly in front of the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) and the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) offices.

He warned the State government to immediately announce that no charges would be collected under the LRS programme, as promised by Congress.