Hyderabad: Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao rejected allegations made by former minister Harish Rao on Koheda fruit market lands and termed them false and misleading.
He said the government under Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy prioritised farmer welfare. He clarified that the government had not made any decision to sell the lands allocated for the proposed fruit market.
Tummala Nageswara Rao said the government remained committed to building the market with international standards and modern facilities. He added that no decision would go against farmers’ interests.
Tummala Nageswara Rao defends Koheda project, counters allegations
Further, he said officials prepared a detailed project report with an estimated cost of ₹3,087 crore. In contrast, the previous BRS government limited the project to ₹399.96 crore.
He said the Congress government allocated 178.09 acres in 2011 for the fruit market. However, he alleged that the BRS government failed to develop the project over the past decade.
Meanwhile, he said the present government initiated steps to develop the Koheda market comprehensively. He added that the project aimed to meet international standards.
He said the cabinet decided on February 23, 2026, to hand over an additional 239 acres to the Marketing Department. Therefore, the project would expand to better support farmers.
In addition, he said the plan included setting up agri-export and food processing units. He added that these facilities would help farmers access global markets.
Tummala Nageswara Rao said claims that the land would be allotted to private entities were baseless. He termed such statements as politically motivated.
He said the government had taken several initiatives for farmer welfare since coming to power. At the same time, he criticised previous governments for neglecting farmers.
Further, he said the project would ensure better prices for horticulture produce. He added that infrastructure for exports would be developed on the allocated land.
He said two types of markets would function under the plan. One would handle wholesale trade under the Gaddiannaram market committee, while the other would focus on national and international exports.
He reiterated that ensuring remunerative prices, promoting fruit cultivation, and connecting farmers to global markets remained the government’s key priorities.