BRS walks out of Assembly in protest against alleged irregularities in Musi rejuvenation project

The Musi rejuvenation project started by the State Government found its echo in the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday with the main Opposition Bharat Rashtra Samiti staging a walk out from the House alleging large scale corruption in the project.

Industries and IT Minister D. Sridhar Babu’s patient explanation about the government’s efforts to raise funds for the prestigious project aimed at transforming Musi river, which is like a drain at present, into a live river - went in vain as the BRS members walked out of the House charging the government with indulging in a loot of ₹1.5 lakh crore in the name of the project.

Replying to a query during the Question Hour this morning, Mr. Sridhar Babu explained that the detailed project report for the first phase of the project was submitted in February this year by Meinhardt, which was onboarded in December 2024.

The government had accordingly sent a proposal for funding to the Asian Development Bank which was satisfied with the project and was evaluating the DPR. “We are expecting that the ADB will approve the project in its next board meeting,” he said.

BRS MLA and working president K.T. Rama Rao however quoted the Minister as saying in January that preparation of the DPR would take 18 months and asked: “What miracle has been worked out to prepare the DPR in less than two months?”

Mr. Rama Rao quoted letters addressed by the ADB to the representatives of the Musi Jan Andolan movement that it had not received the DPR so far and alleged that the Minister was misleading the House. Moreover, the agency roped in for preparation of the DPR was blacklisted in some countries, but the government went ahead with awarding works to the same firm. “Even without a DPR, the government is serving notices on the residents terrorising them,” he alleged.

Mr. Sridhar Babu however explained that the Department of Economic Affairs expressed its satisfaction with the project and forwarded it to the ADB which too expressed its in principle agreement.

“We are exploring options to take the help of other financial institutions or in public private partnership mode if the ADB is not convinced with the DPR,” he said. On the Meinhardt, he said the firm was into various projects within the country and abroad and the Central Government had neither blacklisted it or banned it.

Mr. Rama Rao however cited Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy claiming that the project would cost ₹1.5 lakh crore in the past, but the Minister was saying the government sought assistance of around ₹6,000 crore. “There is no clarity on the quantum of money required for the project. Even senior officials tasked with the project are claiming that there is no DPR,” he said.

Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka who intervened at this juncture criticised the BRS of attempting to obstruct major projects launched in the State’s interests. The Musi project was conceived with a view to mitigate the problems of the people who were living in the vicinity in pitiable conditions, but the BRS was opposed to alleviation of the plight of these sections, he said.

Not convinced with the reply, Mr. Rama Rao along with his party members trooped out of the House to register his protest against the manner in which the government was going ahead with the project.