KTR aborted Musi devpt project while Congress took it up in earnest

Hyderabad: Former State Municipal Administration and Urban Development Minister KT Rama Rao has developed the ambitious Musi Riverfront Development project during his entire tenure in the BRS party’s ten-year rule. The Minister has come out with a plan to develop Musi Riverfront by floating Musi Riverfront Development Corporation Limited (MRDCL) in 2017. However, the minister has failed to execute the project during his entire tenure, as the project remained on the papers till the Congress government took initiative.

All the decisions taken by KTR as MAUD minister for Musi development remain on the papers until he is holding the minister post. After the BRS party received a major jolt in the Assembly elections in December 2023, the new Congress-led government was determined to take up the Musi Riverfront development projects with more focus on the creation of employment and promote the riverfront as one of the most attractive tourist destinations on the lines of the Thames River in London. Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy envisaged big plans for the Musi Riverfront development projects, aiming to generate economic activity and increase the tourism potential.

Officials said that KTR held a series of meetings regarding the Musi development projects from 2017 to 2023 for almost seven years, but not a single work was grounded, including rehabilitation, the allocation of two BHK for the displaced, and the finalisation of designs of the project.

It was KTR under whose directions the then MRDCL, in coordination with the Revenue Department, identified about 8,480 structures in the riverbed and buffer zone of Musi.

River along with the land parcels. The former MAUD minister decided to enumerate the encroachments within the riverbed and buffer zone, duly fixing the river boundary within a timeframe.

Officials said that KTR instructed the MRDCL to prepare a Road Developmental Plan (RDP) for construction of a four-lane road on either side of Musi River bunds for a width of 100 feet in the GHMC area and 150 feet out-side the GHMC, i.e., from ORR to ORR, for a length of 42 km, duly showing land, structure acquisition, and rehabilitation. He also asked them to prepare overall a master plan of Musi Riverfront development showing the details of roads, water/HMWSSB pipelines, horticulture, check dams, boundaries, trams, and cycle tracks. Further, the former MAUD minister instructed the MRDCL to take necessary action for defining the Musi boundary along the Musi River and demarcating the boundary line in coordination with local revenue and irrigation department officials, and also to provide CC cameras/surveillance along the Musi to prevent further encroachments and dumping of C&D waste material.

The Congress government analysed the proposals made by KTR as MAUD minister for Musi development project in the officials meetings. The minutes of the meetings were scrutinised thoroughly and found that KTR has failed to execute the Musi Riverfront development project.