BRS MLC alleges Ekta Mall project favours private builders

Hyderabad: BRS MLC Dasoju Sravan accused the Congress government of turning the Centre-funded Ekta Mall project into a commercial venture for private builders. He said developers would get 66 per cent of the proposed built-up area, while artisans would be allotted less than eight per cent.

Terming it a looting mall project, Sravan said the State Cabinet had approved a plan combining Rs 202 crore in Central funds and 6.12 acres of land belonging to the Telangana Leather Industries Promotion Corporation (TG LIPCO) to benefit two private builders, Vamsiram Builders and Aparna Builders.

He said the proposed 27 lakh sq ft construction would allocate just 2.13 lakh sq ft to the artisans’ Ekta Mall, seven lakh sq ft to government offices and 17.82 lakh sq ft to private builders.

Questioning the government’s claim that the project was altered to make it commercially viable, the BRS MLC asked who would benefit from the returns, poor artisans or private developers. He stated that Central funds and land belonging to a State corporation were being used to serve private interests.

Citing allegations by Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi that Telangana was being turned into an ATM for the Congress leadership, Sravan challenged Union Home Minister Amit Shah to clarify whether the alleged “RR tax” was involved in the deal. He asked why the BJP government had not ordered CBI or ED probes if the charges were genuine.

He also questioned the silence of Telangana’s Union Ministers and BJP MPs, asking whether the BJP and the Congress, which confront each other in Delhi, were colluding in the State for personal benefits.