BJP condemns KTR’s ‘double speak’ on Indian Navy’s VLF facility in Vikarabad

Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy addresses environmental concerns pertaining to Indian Navy VLF station in Vikarabad forest

Union Minister for Coal & Mines G. Kishan Reddy, also the Telangana BJP president, has clarified that 1,500 acres of the 2,900 acres of the Damagundam forest land in Vikarabad will be left “untouched with not a single plant harmed” for the proposed new Very Low Frequency (VLF) station of the Indian Navy.

“There are 1.95 lakh trees in the designated area of which only 1,500 trees will be affected and these will be translocated as the space will be used for building accommodation for the naval personnel. About ₹134 crore was handed over Telangana Forest department for new plantations and for the land,” he told a press conference at the state office on Tuesday.

“BRS leaders led by former Minister K.T. Rama Rao have been resorting to false propaganda and irresponsible double talk about lakhs of trees being felled or a temple being affected. Will KTR agitate against his own father’s government as it has given necessary government orders allocating the forest land and giving permission for the facility by 2017 itself?” questioned Mr. Kishan Reddy.

The Union Minister has pointed out that the second VLF naval facility (first was opened in 1990 at Tirunelveli in Tamil Nadu), which was originally conceived during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s tenure in 2010, had obtained all the necessary statutory and green approvals to hand over the forest land by both the Centre and then State Government after several discussions and exchange of correspondence.

“Indian Navy has waited for 14 long years for the project to be conceived after detailed planning and on giving numerous clarifications. So, it is not fair to politicise the project or spread canards. It is obvious that wherever the armed forces have bases, there is more greenery and protection of ecology,” he explained.

“The Indian Navy has expressed regrets over the disinformation being spread across the project and said the site was chosen as it was found to be secure and an appropriate location for communicating with its ships and submarines. It is matter of nation’s security and safety where everyone should rise above partisan interests. People of Telangana have always been in support of the armed forces and they should condemn false propaganda for selfish political interests?,” said Mr. Kishan Reddy.

The BJP leader also made a startling revelation that the previous Government led by K. Chandrasekhar Rao had delayed the site hand over to the Indian Navy as it had sought the Bison Polo Grounds to build the new secretariat. But the defence ministry did not acquiesce due to the Parade Grounds being in the vicinity where parades by the armed forces are conducted. Moreover, many sports loving persons too had opposed the hand over of the site. and some even filed petitions in the courts.