Minister Ponguleti dismisses BRS chargesheet, labels its regime ‘Tughlaq Rule’

Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy criticizes BRS chargesheet, praises Congress-led government's reforms in Telangana in one-year tenure.

Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy has censured the Bharat Rashtra Samithi’s (BRS) chargesheet on the Congress-led government’s one-year tenure, likening the governance under K. Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) to a ‘Tughlaq Rule’. Accusing the BRS of practising authoritarian rule, he reminded that the people of Telangana had already ‘discharged’ them from power. He also described former Chief Minister KCR as a ‘modern-day Tughlaq’ and announced that the Congress government led by Revanth Reddy had brought several reforms in the Revenue and other departments for the benefit of the public.

Speaking to the media at the Secretariat on Sunday, the minister accused the BRS of misusing law enforcement for personal benefits. The minister highlighted reforms in one-year rule and detailed significant measures taken to address flaws in the Dharani portal. “The Congress government initiated a comprehensive review to resolve pending petitions and implemented a transparent digital system for tracking application updates to ensure accountability. Powers were decentralised to empower officials at various levels, enabling faster resolution of land-related issues,” he said adding that the government undertook a special initiative that resolved 4.68 lakh out of 5.62 lakh pending applications, achieving an 83% success rate.

“Moreover, the management of the Dharani portal was shifted from foreign contractors to the National Informatics Centre (NIC) to enhance oversight and ensure better service delivery,” he reminded.

The Minister also underscored efforts to revitalise revenue services in rural areas. Dedicated revenue staff were appointed to serve in Telangana’s 10,954 villages, ensuring efficient service delivery. Mr. Ponguleti noted that a new Revenue Act is under preparation, aimed at resolving long-standing land disputes. The draft of the new RoR2024 was developed with input from farmers, legal experts and Opposition leaders.

On housing, Mr. Ponguleti reaffirmed the Congress government’s commitment to constructing 20 lakh Indiramma houses over the next four years, fulfilling a key electoral promise. “To ensure effective implementation, the Housing department was restructured, and personnel from other departments were reassigned to strengthen the Housing Corporation. A total of 326 employees were appointed to oversee the selection of beneficiaries, construction and supervision processes,” he said.