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Congress chief Revanth Reddy cries foul as police prevent him from entering new Telangana Secretariat

Reddy was allegedly headed to the Secretariat to file an RTI petition seeking information regarding the privatisation of the maintenance of ORR.

ByRaj Rayasam

Published May 02, 2023 | 7:38 AM ⚊UpdatedMay 02, 2023 | 7:38 AM

Revanth Reddy's vehicle being stopped at Telephone Bhavan, on the way to the new Secretariat, (Twitter)

Tension prevailed when the police prevented TPCC President A Revanth Reddy from entering the BR Ambedkar State Secretariat on Monday, 1 May.

The police who were posted there, stopped his vehicle at Telephone Bhavan, after learning that he was on his way to the secretariat to file a Right to Information Act (RTI) petition, seeking information regarding the privatisation of maintenance of the Outer Ring Road from the Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MA&UD).

The police, arguing that the official whom he wanted to meet was not available at the secretariat, did not allow him to move forward.

Miffed with the police

The TPCC president took the police to task for not allowing him to move forward. He said they had no right to stop an MP from entering the secretariat, which is a public office.

“I want to go inside the secretariat and file a petition for information regarding entrusting the maintenance of the ORR to a private company. How can you stop me?” he asked.

🔥What objection does the @TelanganaCMO have if I go to the secretariat as an MP?!
Stopping by the @TelanganaCOPs is undemocratic.

🔥 I said that I will go alone and meet the authorities..still was not allowed.

🔥The government is afraid that the corruption on Outer Ring… pic.twitter.com/ASidlcPTuq

— Revanth Reddy (@revanth_anumula) May 1, 2023

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When the police said that the person he intended to meet was not available, Reddy shot back saying that he was going inside to file a petition for information under the RTI Act and not to meet any specific officer.

“I want to meet any official who is in charge of taking petitions under the RTI Act in the Municipal Administration Department,” he said.

To pass or not to pass

The police continued to persuade him to return as he had no valid pass to enter the Secretariat, which caused him to explode in anger.

“Did, at any time, any people’s representative take a pass to go inside the secretariat? Being an MP or an MLA itself is a pass. I do not need any other pass.

“Why should either your chief minister or other ministers feel upset if I want to visit a department to file a petition? This is not the chief minister’s farmhouse but a public office. Do you mean to say that this public office is beyond the reach of even MPs and MLAs? Then how could people gain entry?” he asked.

Also Read: Better days have come for Telangana: KCR at secretariat opening

KCR has sold the ORR: Revanth Reddy

The police then told him that the MA&UD office had not yet been shifted to the secretariat and that it was near Masab Tank. However, when Revanth went there, the special chief secretary for the department — whom he wanted to meet — was not there either.

He slammed the department for not acknowledging the application he had made for obtaining information on the maintenance of ORR under the RTI Act.

Later, speaking to the press, Revanth said that the BRS government had offered the ORR, which fetches a revenue of ₹750 crore per year to the government, to IRB Infrastructure for its maintenance at a cost of ₹7,388 crore for 30 years.

“KCR has sold away the ORR, six months ahead of demitting office as the chief minister,” Revanth said.