Leading the ‘Maha Dharna’ protest at Dharna Chowk in Hyderabad on Saturday, August 12, G Kishan Reddy, Union Minister and Telangana state BJP president, alleged that the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) government demanded a 30% cut in every project, dubbing it ‘30% sarkar’.
Accusing the BRS government of corruption, Kishan Reddy said, “This government is a 30% government. BRS leaders demand a share in every welfare scheme, leading the state into severe debt. Telangana is ruled by land mafia, sand mafia, and granite mafia.” He further said that the BRS government has failed to fulfil the 2BHK housing scheme and that the poor are forced to pay high rents. “KCR is fooling people in the name of double bedroom houses. He has not constructed the houses even when the Union government has promised assistance. He constructs farm houses for his family and camp offices for his MLAs but will not build houses for the poor.”
It may be recalled that ahead of the Assembly election in neighbouring Karnataka, the state contractors’ association had alleged that government officials, ruling BJP MLAs, and Panchayat Raj Minister KS Eshwarappa would demand a 40% commission for every project. In response to this, the Congress party had launched the ‘40% sarkara’ campaign targeting the Basavaraj Bommai-led BJP government. The Congress also launched a website and a campaign phone number to urge people to file complaints if they had been asked to pay bribes by government officials. The Congress went on to win 135 out of 224 seats in the Assembly polls in May this year and form the government.