BRS Pledges to Abandon Future City, Revive Pharma City if Voted Back to Power

Hyderabad — The Future City project has emerged as a fresh flashpoint in Telangana's political landscape, with competing parties offering divergent visions for the region's development.

Senior BRS leader T. Harish Rao, speaking during his tour of the United States, declared that his party would terminate the Future City project if it returns to office. He contended that the Congress administration has hijacked the initiative to serve real estate interests rather than genuine development goals.

In place of the current scheme, Rao pledged to resurrect the earlier Pharma City project, which he characterised as a superior alternative. He underscored that reviving Pharma City would unlock substantial employment avenues for the state's youth, framing it as a more beneficial use of the land.

Rao further alleged that the Congress government has deliberately stalled the Pharma City project to prevent the BRS from receiving political recognition for its development. The claim reflects the intense rivalry between the two parties over credit for regional initiatives.

The remarks have drawn swift retaliation from the BJP camp. Medak MP Madhavaneni Raghunandan Rao rejected both proposed models, arguing that neither Pharma City nor Future City adequately serves the region's interests. Instead, he advocated for transforming the area into a "Farmers City" that would prioritise agricultural and rural development.

Raghunandan Rao accused both the Congress and BRS of engaging in a name-changing exercise driven purely by political calculations rather than genuine concern for the region's welfare. He challenged the BRS to justify its track record, questioning why the party failed to operationalise even a single major project during its decade in power.

The BJP leader noted that the Centre had previously issued environmental approvals to facilitate investment attraction and generate employment in the region. He asserted that the BJP would prioritise the Farmers City concept if entrusted with governance in Telangana, positioning it as a more inclusive development model.

Tensions surrounding land pooling schemes and competing development blueprints for the area have intensified significantly in recent times, reflecting the high political stakes involved.