BRS flays G.O. 477, says it ignores 2013 R&R Act

HYDERABAD

The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) has termed G.O. 477 issued by the State government on rehabilitation/ relocation of families on the Musi river bed in the city as a diversionary tactic that bypasses the legal framework of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation, and Resettlement Act, 2013, and an injustice to those dwelling in the buffer zone.

In an open letter to the Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister and other Ministers, BRS leader Dasoju Sravan on Monday said that instead of upholding this 2013 Act, the new G.O. seeks to form a separate Livelihood Support Committee only after the demolitions are carried out. It is a move to cover up and deflect the public outrage over illegal evictions and displacement of the marginalised communities.

Condemning the government’s proposal to spend ₹1.5 lakh crore on the Musi river beautification project, he said it is a blatant violation of the rights of thousands of residents living along the river. He criticised the administration for its “high-handedness” and “insensitivity” in evicting the families without due consultation and compensation, and likened the actions to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s bulldozer tactics.

Accusing the State government of following bulldozer raj policy by demolishing the homes of people living in the riverbed and buffer zones without extending any compensation, as required by the RFCTLARR Act, 2013. He faulted the government’s refusal to engage environmentalists, urban planners and the affected communities in consultations before resorting to evictions and demolitions.

He pointed out that there were no ward-wise meetings or gram sabhas to gather inputs from stakeholders, undermining the transparency and credibility of the project. The discriminatory approach of the administration was denying residents on the riverbed and buffer zones their rightful claims and treating them as encroachers.

Raising alarm over the government’s rush to demolish homes without a detailed project report for the Musi river beautification project, he said it highlights the administration’s lack of commitment to environmental impact, financial estimates and resettlement strategy.