BRS raising ‘Raghava crushing’ issues to pre-empt govt’s plans to highlight mining leases during BRS regime: Congress

With the Kotwalguda-Raghava crushers issue hogging the limelight, the government plans to counter by exposing what it calls the blatant exemption to GO 111 by the BRS government to undermine the very existence of the twin reservoirs and its negative impact on the environment.

The Congress Legislature Party is preparing a counter-offensive, believing that the BRS brought up the Kotwal Guda Raghava Crushers matter to pre-empt the exposure of alleged irregularities in ‘diluting’ the GO 111. The CLP also plans to drag BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao and Siddipet MLA T. Harish Rao ‘exposing’ the ‘illegal’ land issues in their constituencies.

The government is also considering placing before the Assembly details of mining leases granted across Rangareddy, Medchal, Sangareddy, Siddipet, erstwhile Karimnagar, Nizamabad and Khammam districts. Vigilance reports and penalty notices issued during that period are expected to be highlighted.

Meanwhile, Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy, who is in Kerala campaigning for the party there, plans to respond both politically and legally. He is said to have told his colleagues that the BRS was attempting to drag Raghava Constructions into controversy only for political reasons.

According to Congress sources, in 2022–23, when the BRS was in power, 100 acres of land at Budwel were auctioned through HMDA, which entrusted NCC Limited with the task of developing the layout for this 100-acre land parcel. During the layout development, unusable rocks that emerged from the site were dumped by the company at Kotwal Guda.

The waste rocks lying there were later crushed by Tirumala Metal Industries through HMDA. Raghava Construction purchased the crushed material from Tirumala Metal Industries for its road works.

Mr. Reddy apparently clarified to his Cabinet colleagues that Raghava Constructions procured gravel from Tirumala Crushers after payment of applicable seigniorage cess. On December 18, 2025, Raghava Constructions reportedly paid ₹1.52 crore and ₹1.22 crore towards road works royalty to the Mining department.

He is said to have maintained that Raghava Constructions has no direct or indirect operational link with Tirumala Crushers. The electricity connection and mineral dealership licence are both in the name of Tirumala Crushers. He is understood to have asserted that he has no need to engage in illegal sand or gravel trade given his political and business standing.