Sridhar Babu refutes allegations by BJP and BRS on HILT policy, calls it a smear campaign

IT and Industries Minister D. Sridhar Babu accused both the BJP and the BRS of unleashing a smear campaign against the State government with their unfounded allegations with regard to the Hyderabad Industrial Land Transformation (HILT) policy. He said that the State government would order a probe into the conversion of industrial lands under the BRS government.

Addressing a press conference at Gandhi Bhavan on Monday, he refuted the allegations over the Hyderabad Industrial Land Transformation (HILT) policy. “The State government is imposing a conservation fee on its own lands under the HILT policy,” he said, accusing the BRS government of usurping government lands. He asked why the BJP is silent on the free holding of the leased lands in 2022, under the BRS regime.

“The previous government led by BRS, arbitrarily changed the titles of the government lands. It converted a hundred acres of land belonging to a pharmaceutical company. Didn’t BRS remember the rules then?” he questioned, adding that industries did not come forward with the 30% Sub-Registrar Office (SRO)in the grid policy brought by the BRS.

“That is why we are taking a step forward and trying. Due to the BRS government’s negligence, polluting industries have increased in and around Hyderabad,” Mr. Sridhar Babu said.

“The BRS government has brought a GO to freehold lease lands of the government. The government has not made any decision regarding government lands. We have formulated a policy regarding lands held by industries. This policy applies only to the ‘free-hold’ lands and not to the ‘leased lands of government’, either in industrial parks or standalone,” he said, adding that the Nacharam Industrial Association has expressed its support for the policy brought by our government.