‘No scope for scam in Industrial Policy’: Uttam Kumar hits back at Opposition’s claims

Hyderabad: Whatever good work the government undertakes, whatever development activities it initiates, the opposition parties create a ruckus and try to sling mud, said State Irrigation and Civil Supplies Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy.

Participating in the ‘Face-to-Face with Ministers’ programme at Gandhi Bhavan on Thursday, he received petitions from the public and interacted with officials on several complaints.

‘No scope for scam in Industrial Policy’

Later, addressing a press conference in Gandhi Bhavan, he said that false propaganda was being spread about the Industrial Policy and clarified that the objective of the policy is to make Hyderabad a pollution-free city.

He said there is no scope for any scam in this policy and that the policy introduced by the government is highly transparent.

He stated that the BJP and BRS leaders have not understood the policy and suggested that they should first understand it fully.

‘Proposal to push industries outside ORR is not new’

The opposition, he said, is intentionally slinging mud at the government even though they know very well that no corruption has taken place. Unable to tolerate the positive public response to the government’s good initiatives, they are resorting to malicious propaganda.

He stated that there has long been a demand to shift industries outside the ORR to make Hyderabad a pollution-free city, and that this is not a new demand.

“This is not a new policy brought by us; it existed earlier as well. But the opposition parties are creating unnecessary controversy as if we introduced something entirely new,” he said.

He noted that even during the BRS government’s tenure, discussions were held on this policy.

‘Industrial Policy will generate revenue’

He ridiculed the BRS party for claiming that they would change the policy if they came to power, saying, “They are not coming to power and the policy will not be changed.”

The minister said he was involved in formulating the Industrial Policy and that the new policy would generate additional revenue for the state. He added that the opposition is opposing everything the Congress government does simply for the sake of opposition.

Referring to BRS allegations of a Rs 50,000-crore scam in the construction of power plants, he said not even a Rs 50,000 scam had taken place, let alone Rs 50,000 crore.

He alleged that the Bhadradri Kothagudem Power Project, constructed during the BRS regime, was itself a major scam. He said the previous government purchased unused, outdated equipment from a company called India Bulls and constructed the plant with sub-critical technology, rendering it practically unusable.

He questioned why outdated technology was used for the Bhadradri project and criticised it as an unnecessary burden imposed on the people of Telangana.