Telangana Industries Minister Duddilla Sridhar Babu on Wednesday, 12 August launched a sharp rebuttal against Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) Working President K.T. Rama Rao, accusing him of spreading false allegations about land allocations in Hyderabad. The minister's remarks came in direct response to KTR's claim that the state government had allotted five acres of land worth ₹200 crore near Future City to Tesseract Advanced Systems Pvt Limited, a firm he alleged was linked to Chief Minister Revanth Reddy's brother Kondal Reddy.

The Land Pricing Dispute

Sridhar Babu flatly rejected KTR's valuation, stating that the land in question — five acres — was allotted for ₹7.5 crore, at a rate of ₹1.50 crore per acre. He challenged KTR to explain the basis for the ₹200 crore figure, calling it a fabrication. The minister added that the allocation was carried out strictly in accordance with prescribed rules and regulations.

He further drew a contrast with the previous BRS administration, alleging that land under that government was allotted at just ₹90 lakh per acre — significantly below the current rate. The accusation positions the Congress-led government as having secured better value for state assets, a claim BRS has not yet formally responded to.

KTR's Original Allegation

The row was triggered by KTR's public allegation that the Revanth Reddy government had facilitated a below-market land deal near Future City for a private company reportedly connected to the Chief Minister's family. KTR has not clarified the source of his ₹200 crore valuation, a gap Sridhar Babu is now pressing him to address publicly.

Notably, the dispute surfaces as the Congress government pushes its Hyderabad Industrial Lands Transformation (HILT) policy, which it says is designed to attract investment and benefit Hyderabad's residents. Sridhar Babu cautioned KTR against stoking fear among industrialists, arguing that obstructing Telangana's development served no one's interests.

BRS Propaganda Charge and Water Rights

Speaking to reporters after a face-to-face public interaction session at the state Congress headquarters, Gandhi Bhavan, Sridhar Babu accused BRS leaders of engaging in what he called 'Goebbels-style propaganda.' He argued that voters had already rejected such tactics in the Lok Sabha and local body elections.

The minister also broadened his attack to include water rights, alleging that the BRS government had caused serious damage to Telangana's interests in water allocation. He confirmed that the state government would attend the upcoming Godavari River Management Board (GRMB) meeting and would strongly argue for Telangana's rightful share.

He also challenged KTR to explain to Telangana's farmers the price received for paddy grown at former Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao's farmhouse — a counter-allegation aimed at redirecting scrutiny toward the BRS leadership.

The Face-to-Face Programme

Wednesday's press interaction followed a public grievance session organised under a programme conceived by state Congress president Mahesh Kumar Goud. The initiative, described as a continuous weekly engagement, rotates a minister each week to hear citizens' concerns directly and ensure unresolved issues are addressed. Sridhar Babu said the programme was aimed at maintaining a sustained rapport with ordinary citizens.

With the GRMB meeting on the horizon and the land allocation dispute unresolved, both the Congress government and BRS appear set for a prolonged political confrontation over Telangana's development agenda.