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Hyderabad: Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) spokesperson Manne Krishank on Sunday, June 14, wrote to Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy seeking action against the alleged encroachment of eight acre of government land in Hyderabad’s Bowenpally, accusing Secunderabad Cantonment MLA Sri Ganesh of complicity in the matter.

The letter follows a site visit by Krishank on June 12, where he said he found the land – valued at over Rs 800 crore – fenced off and under private occupation.

The land in question

“The plot had been identified by the Congress government in 2025 for the construction of 6,000 Indiramma houses for residents of the Cantonment area, with MLA Sri Ganesh himself having submitted representations to Revenue and Housing Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy seeking implementation of the housing project,” Krishank said, adding that the minister’s office had instructed the MRO, Trimulgerry, to initiate necessary procedures for the project.

The BRS leader alleged that despite this, the land had since been fenced and taken over by private entities, with “goondas” deployed who had also attacked local residents. “The sudden change in the status of such a valuable public asset has not only caused widespread concern but also shattered the hopes of residents waiting for the Congress government to keep its promise of Indiramma houses,” he said.

Chequered history

The land has a long-disputed past. In 2012, then Hyderabad Collector Navin Mittal faced action from the Congress government of undivided Andhra Pradesh in connection with the same plot. The following year, CCLA Commissioner AS Harpreet Singh issued an order noting three conflicting survey reports and an unresolved village boundary dispute, declaring any occupation of the land unlawful.

Krishank said the BRS, during its tenure, had repeatedly filed lawsuits to prevent encroachment on the land.

MLA’s silence draws fire

The BRS spokesperson trained his sharpest criticism on Sri Ganesh’s silence, noting the irony of the MLA making no public statement on land he had himself flagged for public housing. “The absence of any clarification, objection or intervention from the local elected representative has fuelled suspicion among residents,” Krishank said.

He demanded the government disclose all records, permissions and documents related to the property and take immediate steps to safeguard it.