Need to probe the entire ORR lease process: G Kishan Reddy

In an allegation of irregularities in the leasing of the Outer Ring Road (ORR) to a private party by the State government, union Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy asserted that the whole lease process needs to be probed, as it will lead to a huge loss to the exchequer.

As Kishan Reddy said at a press conference on Sunday, the ORR was expected to grow by at least 10 percent annually and revenue could reach Rs 70,000 crore if the toll fee was increased by 5 to 10 percent. “How can the government handover such a project at a throwaway price to a private party?” he asked. He added that if the BJP came to power in the State, it would order a probe into the ORR lease agreement.

Revanth Reddy calls ORR lease ‘the biggest scam in the country’

TPCC president A Revanth Reddy called the leasing of Outer Ring Road (ORR) the country’s biggest scam. In an interview with media persons at Gandhi Bhavan, Revanth Reddy alleged that the lease transaction involved a kickback of Rs 1,000 crore. Revanth Reddy has said that the ORR, which is expected to grow by 10% annually and generate at least Rs. 30,000 crores in revenues, has been leased to a Mumbai-based company for Rs. 7,380 crores.

He questioned the hidden agenda behind the leasing process, which was overseen by former Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar and signed by senior IAS officer Arvind Kumar. Within six months of the current government stepping down, the next Congress government would review decisions made and those involved in the alleged extortion, including Minister KTR, Somesh Kumar, and Arvind Kumar, would face consequences, he said.

A probe would be ordered by the Congress party when it takes power to investigate the role of individuals involved, he said, and those in management may be imprisoned.