Harish: State Must Retain 50% industrial Land
Harish Rao asked why the government had not taken the rate of the Telangana Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (TGIIC) as the basis to determine conversion charge, since it was much higher than the basic rate of the sub-registrar office.
Hyderabad:The BRS on Saturday demanded that the state government retain at least 50 per cent of industrial land which it had decided to convert to multi-use, and use it for public purposes.
Addressing a press conference here, former minister T. Harish Rao also demanded that a higher conversion fee —twice the basic rate instead of the present 30 per cent —be levied. He reiterated the party’s allegations that the Chief Minister had been indulging in a Rs 5 lakh crore scam’ by allowing the conversion.
Harish Rao asked why the government had not taken the rate of the Telangana Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (TGIIC) as the basis to determine conversion charge, since it was much higher than the basic rate of the sub-registrar office.
The BRS leader said Congress government decision would cause a loss of Rs 13,500 crore to the HMDA by exempting the industrial units from paying conversion fee to the civic body separately.
Asked about the BRS government gifting industrial land in Azamabad on a platter by giving ownership rights for leased land after collecting a meagre amount, Harish Rao said it was forced to act in view of High Court orders. “But we collected 100-200 per cent of basic value,” he pointed out.
When party’s dual standards of opposing 30 per cent conversion fee by the Congress government even after the previous BRS government had levied the same amount for freehold industrial units were brought to his notice, Harish Rao sought to defend it stating that the BRS had insisted on 50 per cent mandatory IT space. “Our idea was that employment would be created,” he pointed out.