Hyderabad: Former minister Sabitha Indra Reddy on Wednesday alleged that police placed her and her son under house arrest to prevent them from attending a public hearing on the Musi Riverfront Development Project.
Speaking to the media, Sabitha Indra Reddy demanded compensation of ₹50,000 per acre for farmers who suffered crop losses due to drought conditions. Because of inadequate water and electricity, she said farmers were investing borrowed money in cultivation and faced severe financial hardship when crops failed.
She said govt should disclose the project’s likely benefits, costs and impact on residents and address the concerns of affected families before proceeding. She demanded fair compensation and proper rehabilitation for families at risk of losing their homes. Public consultations, she added, should allow people to express their views without intimidation. Alleging that the house arrest was intended to silence the opposition, Sabitha called on the CM to focus on farmers’ welfare, irrigation, electricity supply and the concerns of Musi project-affected families. She asserted that BRS would continue to raise public issues and fight for compensation to drought-hit farmers and justice for families affected by the Musi project. She alleged that crops were drying up in several areas and farmers were not receiving adequate support from govt. Instead of proceeding with the project at such a huge cost, she urged the govt to divert a portion of the proposed expenditure towards farmers’ welfare, including compensation for crop losses and arrangements for uninterrupted power and irrigation supply.