Telangana CM sends veiled warning to L&T; says State Govt will not function under corporate or political pressure

Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Friday (September 19, 2024) sent a veiled warning to the infrastructure giant L&T, warning that the State Government will not function under corporate or political pressures.

In an apparent reference to L&T planning to move out of the Hyderabad Metro Rail (HMR) operations claiming losses, he said the Government will proceed on its own terms, with decisions taken strictly in the interests of the people, and not under political pressure.

In an informal chat with reporters in New Delhi, Mr. Revanth Reddy linked L&T’s recent moves — leaked to the media — to their close affiliation with former Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao and the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president K.T. Rama Rao. “L&T might like KCR and KTR, but they cannot ignore the Government,” he said, stressing that the company must align with Government priorities.

Mr. Revanth Reddy made it clear that it was the State that would decide the project’s future. “Do we need the permission of L&T to build the Metro?” he asked while claiming that the Centre wants the State to tie-up with L&T before seeking clearances. He also dismissed L&T’s claim over losses and its plans to move out of Metro operations while seeking compensation. He questioned why the public should be forced to bear what he described as “losses caused under KCR’s watch.”

Kishan Reddy toeing KTR’s line

The Chief Minister also alleged that Union Coal Minister G Kishan Reddy was toeing the line of KTR. “Kishan Reddy won’t take any decision without consulting KTR. Every move of his seems dictated,” Mr. Revanth Reddy charged.

Claiming deliberate restriction of Urea supply by the Central government, the Chief Minister said it was done at the behest of the BRS, with the understanding that it [BRS] would not support the INDI alliance candidate Justice Sudershan Reddy in the vice president elections.

“Farmers in Telangana need 9 lakh Metric Tonnes, but the Centre sent only 7 lakh MTs. This shortage is not because of the state, but because of the Centre’s political games in association with the BRS,” he asserted.

Targeting the Union Minister further, the Chief Minister asked what happened to the CBI enquiry on the Kaleshwaram project and Mr. Kishan Reddy’s claims of getting CBI to take up the investigation in just two days. “It’s been weeks since the State government sent its request,” he reminded. Both the BJP and BRS are sidelining the larger issue of accountability in project execution, he argued.

On the local body elections, the chief minister underlined that the polls would be held after the President gives assent to the bills related to BC reservations. “We have no option but to wait. We are discussing the matter with legal experts,” he explained.