Cong, BRS caught in a slugfest as Dharani ghost refuses to die

Hyderabad: The issue of Dharani portal had led to war of words between the leaders of ruling Congress party and Opposition BRS as they both targeted each other and the Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy said that the Congress party was ready to take the ‘Bhu Bharati’ as a referendum in the next elections.

The heated discussions took place when the BRS member Palla Rajeshwar Reddy was speaking on different demands in the Assembly on Wednesday. While the BRS member was speaking, several Ministers intervened and tried to give clarity on the issues raised. When Rajeshwar Reddy said that the police system during the BRS regime was good and the then CM KCR had increased salaries of home guards and taken up police recruitment, the Legislative Affairs Minister D Sridhar Babu suggested the member not to talk about history. “The demands are for 2025-26. If the members go on speaking from 2014, time will not be sufficient. The members should tell what they want this year,” said Sridhar Babu.

Responding to this, BRS senior leader Talasani Srinivas Yadav questioned whether these words were applicable only for Opposition members. He recalled that earlier Congress MLA Sanjay had talked about the previous government on ‘Bhu Bharati’. “Still you are talking about the previous government. They should tell what they will do. Before telling us, tell the House. The Speaker should give standing instructions to all,” said Yadav. Replying to this Sridhar Babu said that they were in the House before and the BRS leaders used to target the previous Congress government.

Quoting the crime report released by the DGP Jitender, Rajeshwar Reddy said that the crime rate in Telangana jumped to 22.53 per cent including 13.75 per cent rise in crime against women. He alleged that there was no progress in the MMTS train attempt to murder case. While there were 1.3 lakh incidents last year, this year there were 1.69 lakh incidents. Responding to this Minister Ponnam Prabhakar said that the Opposition member was misleading the House because already one person was arrested in the case. Criticising the previous government for politicising the police system, Ponnam Prabhakar said that the BRS had politicised the police system.

Rajeshwar Reddy said that even today Dharani portal software and modules were running. Before 2014 the mutation used to be done after six months but now it was done within 20 minutes. In Bhu Bharati- Mutation is allowed by MRO or registration authority officials. The situation would lead to farmers’ armed struggle once again, he cautioned.

The Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka said that the armed struggle had come with a slogan of land belongs to one who plows. Because of the land reforms by the Congress government many had ownership of the lands. He said that there was no provision for appeal in the previous Act hence the State government brought this Act. However, Rajeshwar Reddy said that because of Dharani farmers were getting Rythu Bandhu. “We brought scientific Bhu Bharati. You are not accepting the fact and talking with arrogance. We will go to the people with Bhu Bharati as a referendum,” he said. Responding to this, the BRS member said that the Congress government got power based on the six guarantees and not on Dharani. “‘Jama Bandi’ was stopped in 2011. In the name of Jama Bandi, Manual Pahani a new shop has been opened,” he said.

Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy said that the BRS government did not frame rules after bringing the Act in 2020. “Since the BRS committed mistakes, Congress is correcting. When the BRS members objected to intervention of the ministers, the panel Speaker R Prakash Reddy said that the Ministers had the right to intervene and give clarity,” he added.