Cong. slams TS over decision to sell land

Accuses KCR of pushing the state into debt trap

The Congress has come down heavily on the state government for its decision to sell land parcels to raise money and the ongoing overcome financial crunch. The Opposition leaders condemned the ruling party’s statements over sale of lands in Telangana state.

Former minister and MLA D. Sridhar Babu on Tuesday slammed the state government over the decision and he accused Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao of pushing the state, which was a surplus budget state at the time of formation, into a debt trap.

Addressing the media at the Congress Legislature Party office in the Assembly, Sridhar Babu said the Chief Minister was ruling the state in an incompetent manner and alleged that decision of selling the government lands was ridiculous instead of reducing wasteful spending and generating revenue while saving. He expressed dissatisfaction over the sale of the 30,000 acres of land and said it did not make sense. He demanded that the government withdraw GO 13 and suggested that it would create a problem in future to acquire land for public use.

He condemned finance minister T. Harish Rao’s comments on Monday that the Congress had sold land parcels earlier. He recalled that Telangana Congress leaders also protested

the decision of sale of lands in earlier periods. He alleged that Chandrashekar Rao was Union minister in 2004 and Harish Rao was a minister in the Congress Cabinet and they were also part of selling lands at that time.

Sridhar Babu made it clear that he was not in the PCC race and stated that he had no interest in that position. He said he would continue to work as per the direction of AICC.

Meanwhile, in a statement issued on Tuesday, former MP V. Hanumantha Rao condemned the state government’s decision to sell public lands. He expressed concerns that

if the government lands were sold, there would be no space for graveyards in the future. He stated that it would be a problem for future generations. He questioned whether there would be lands today, if past governments had sold all the lands. They demanded that all parties work together to fight the government’s decision.

AICC spokesperson D. Sravan, addressing a media conference, recalled that minister K.T. Rama Rao and himself participated in several dharnas against sale of lands in united Andhra Pradesh and he criticised the Telangana government for going in a same way to sell its lands.

He accused the TRS government of running up a `4 lakh crores debt and alleged that the Chief Minister ruled the state like a dictator, and not in a constitutional way.

Dr Sravan questioned the government about the liquor and petrol taxes and also IT export income. He asked how the TRS, which was a small regional party, became a rich political party across the country.

He also recalled that the previous Congress government distributed 50 lakhs acres to poor people and questioned what the TRS government did in its seven years of regime other than sale of lands.