Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) Working President K. T. Rama Rao on Wednesday claimed that he owns no farmhouse and said if the farmhouse he had taken on the lease was built illegally, he would welcome its demolition.
He, however, demanded that the action should start with the farmhouses and guest houses of ministers and top Congress leaders.
Denying that he owns a farmhouse, he told media persons that he had taken the property of his friend on lease 7-8 years ago.
“If it is in FTL or buffer zone, I will tell my friend and I will be present there when it is demolished. There is no problem, demolish it. I will welcome but the farmhouses of ministers and top Congress leaders which are there in FTL should also be demolished. They are also in FTL,” he said.
The former minister was replying to a query about the Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA) planning demolition of his farmhouse at Janwada village in Rangareddy district.
Pradeep Reddy, who is said to be the owner of the farmhouse, has approached Telangana High Court, seeking direction to HYDRAA not to demolish it.
HYDRAA, a newly constituted body for the core urban region, has taken up the demolition of structures built in Full Tank Level (FTL) or buffer zones of water bodies in and around the city. It has also pulled down structures which came up in the FTL or buffer zone of Osman Sagar and Himayat Sagar reservoirs on the city outskirts.
“If they want to take action, let them take but the action should be against all those who have their farmhouses in FTL or buffer zones,” said KT Rama Rao.
The BRS leader claimed that Revenue Minister P. Srinivas Reddy, Legislative Council Chairman G. Sukhender Reddy, MLC Patnam Mahender Reddy, former MPs KVP Ramachandra Rao, Madhu Yaskhi, MLA G. Vivek and others have their properties in FTL or buffer zone. He also offered to take media persons with him and show the farmhouse of Chief Minister Revanth Reddy’s family.
After KTR’s press conference, BRS leader Krishank posted on ‘X’ images of a house, allegedly belonging to Revanth Reddy’s brother A. Thirupati Reddy.
“HYDRA if you want to set an example, start with the brother of CM Revanth, Anumula Thirupati whose house is constructed in FTL. Why demolish only the Middle Class, Why not this Real Estate Tycoon,” asked Krishank.
In 2020, Revanth Reddy was arrested and booked for flying a drone when he had tried to force his way into the farmhouse at Janwada saying it belonged to KTR and was constructed illegally. KTR was then Minister for municipal administration, urban development, industries and information technology.
The Congress leader had alleged that the farmhouse, spread over 25 acres with a built-up area of one lakh square feet, is located within the jurisdiction of Government Order (GO) 111 wherein constructions are not allowed.
GO 111 prohibits construction activity within 10 km distance of Himayat Sagar and Osman Sagar. According to the GO, hotels and residential structures should not be constructed anywhere in the 84 listed villages in six mandals which constitute the catchment area of the two reservoirs.