The Bharath Rashtra Samithi (BRS) Government has been giving away precious land parcels at ‘throw-away’ prices to the ‘rich’ industrialists, hospitals and others, including his own party, but has been found wanting in giving plots to the poor or handing over the land to journalists society, charged former minister and TS BJP election management committee chairman Eatala Rajender on Tuesday.
Addressing a protest by a section of journalists demanding that the government hand over to the Jawaharlal Nehru Journalists Cooperative Housing Society land in the two designated sites, at the Dharna Chowk (Indira Park) here on Tuesday, Mr. Rajender regretted that those supposed to cover democratic protests and make people aware of the issues have been forced to be on the other side due to the government’s attitude.
The BJP leader questioned the government for keeping the issue pending for years even after the Supreme Court judgement. “What is the reason for this discrimination? Is it because Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao cannot stand those not toeing his line?” he asked.
Mr. Rajender charged that thousands of acres given to several firms, including the IT/ITES firms, had not led to the promised jobs or income but the beneficiaries have been involved in real estate activities.
“KCR had criticised the rulers of the then united Andhra Pradesh blaming them for every ill, but he had ignored the just demands of the journalist community though they had already paid for the land to the then government,” said the Huzurabad MLA.
The BRS government had cheated the poor by neglecting the two-bedroom housing scheme and even usurping about 5,000 acres of land belonging to the Dalits for ‘real estate activity’. “This Government days are near and none can stop the land hand over to journalists. In the meantime, we should be ready for a second Telangana liberation struggle,” he added.
Telangana Congress senior vice president Mallu Ravi also addressed the gathering and reminded that it was the Congress governments that gave lands to journalists and no one else had done so in the State’s history. He said the Congress party fully recognises the right of journalists and appealed to the government to handover the land that was bought by the journalists 16 years ago. He said Congress would always bat for journalists and their rights.
