Bhatti Slams KTR, Defends Musi Rejuvenation as Poor's Lifeline

Hyderabad: Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka on Wednesday defended the Musi river rejuvenation project in the Assembly, accusing the opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi and its working president K.T. Rama Rao of obstructing efforts to improve living conditions in the river’s catchment.

During Question Hour, he said Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy had assured rehabilitation for all displaced families in the same locality through modern apartments, irrespective of ownership documents. "Our government acts with social responsibility," he said, asking the opposition to clarify whether it opposed the project or wanted residents to continue in unhygienic conditions.

Bhatti Vikramarka said the project aimed to provide housing, education, healthcare and livelihood support. He said children of displaced families would be admitted to Young India International Schools, and women would be offered interest-free loans.

He added that Sewage Treatment Plants would ensure that treated water alone enters the river, and that project details had been placed in the public domain for transparency. The first phase, from Gandipet to Bapu Sarovar, was being taken up as part of the initiative, he said.

Questioning the opposition’s stand, he asked, "Do they want the poor to remain poor in filthy conditions?" He said criticism of the project was hindering efforts to transform the Musi.

IT and industries minister D. Sridhar Babu rejected allegations of inflated costs, saying the first phase was estimated at up to `7,000 crore and not `1.5 lakh crore. He said the Detailed Project Report, prepared by Meinhardt, was under review by the Asian Development Bank, with alternatives being explored if required. He also referred to a 2016 government order issued during the BRS tenure on buffer zones, alleging inconsistency in the party’s current position.

Sridhar Babu also referred to earlier works along the Musi, stating that a pathway constructed in the buffer zone at `40 crore during the previous regime had been damaged in recent floods. He said the present government aimed to develop the Musi riverfront as an urban public space with parks, promenades and commercial activity.

Earlier, Rama Rao asked the government to table the Detailed Project Report in the House and not to mislead members on financial approval from the Asian Development Bank. "When the Chief Minister is claiming that the entire project costs `1.5 lakh crore, how will the first phase of the project cost just `6,500 crore," he said, and sought details on the number of phases planned. The exchange highlighted differences between the treasury and opposition benches over project cost, funding and implementation.