Hyderabad, March 18 Alleging corruption and an unsystematic approach by the Congress government in the proposed Musi river rejuvenation project, the BRS staged a walkout from the Telangana Legislative Assembly on Wednesday, even as the government accused the opposition party of "mud-slinging".
Speaking during Question Hour, state IT and Industries Minister D Sridhar Babu said the government is expecting the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to approve the Detailed Project Report (DPR) in its next meeting.
He said the state government had hired Meinhardt to prepare the DPR for the first phase of the project in December 2024, and that the report was submitted in February of this year.
"We sent a proposal for funding to ADB. Initially, they are satisfied with the project. The ADB is now evaluating the DPR. They only call it approval when they give full approval. We are expecting that the ADB's approval will come in the next board meeting," he said.
Babu said the government is working towards rejuvenating the Musi river with the help of any other organization or in a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) mode if the ADB is not convinced by the DPR.
He said Meinhardt has undertaken many projects in the country and abroad.
The government's aim is to transform the Musi, which is currently like a drain, into a perennial river, he said, adding that the government is ready for a comprehensive discussion on the issue.
BRS Working President K T Rama Rao, however, alleged that the minister did not clarify the number of phases and the DPRs proposed for the execution of the Musi project.
Highlighting the government's keenness to improve the quality of life of poor residents living in unhygienic conditions along the Musi riverbank, Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka asked whether the BRS opposes cleaning the river.
Saying the BRS is not opposed to cleaning the Musi river, Rao quoted an official as saying that there is no DPR for the project.
Claiming other inaccuracies in the project's plans, he alleged that the government lacked a proper plan and funds to undertake the project.
He announced his party's walkout in protest against the "theft of Rs 1.50 lakh crore" in the project.
Dismissing allegations of a "theft" of Rs 1.50 lakh crore, Babu said the expenditure for the first phase of the Musi rejuvenation project is estimated at Rs 6,500 crore to Rs 7,000 crore.
The BRS is only indulging in mud-slinging and lacks sincerity regarding the Musi rejuvenation, he added.
