BRS leaders allege land trade behind expansion of Section 22A prohibited list

Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leaders K.T. Rama Rao and T. Harish Rao on Friday accused the Congress government of being centred around land, alleging that this was the reason for the sharp increase in the extent of lands placed in the prohibited list under Section 22A of the Registration Act. The prohibited acreage has risen from 16 lakh acres under the previous government to 1.16 crore acres now, they said.

The two leaders made the allegations during an interaction with people affected by the inclusion of their lands in the prohibited list. A large number of such victims from areas in and around Hyderabad attended the event and described their difficulties. The leaders said that with a single stroke of pen, the government had pushed families holding rights over their lands for generations into uncertainty.

Mr. Harish Rao alleged that the government had mortgaged 400 acres of University of Hyderabad land to the Bombay Stock Exchange, borrowed ₹10,000 crore at 9.5% interest, and paid another ₹200 crore to middlemen who arranged the mortgage. He further claimed that 8,000 acres in Medchal district were also mortgaged to the BSE to borrow another ₹10,000 crore. According to him, the government had resumed 100 acres of Agriculture University land and was now eyeing polytechnic college lands.

He also alleged that 3,000 acres of land trade was behind the Musi beautification project and that the government had taken over Hyderabad Metro Rail with an eye on 280 acres of land given to it. About 40,000 acres in Yadadri district were included in the prohibited list, he said.

Mr. K.T. Rama Rao alleged that the Chief Minister had given away ₹200 crore worth of land in Future City for just ₹7 crore to his sibling's company. He explained that 800 acres of land in Lingapuram in Sircilla constituency and 100 acres in Kongara Kalan were included in the prohibited list, with a plan to sell them off to private parties at throwaway prices.