Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy on Wednesday ordered an inquiry into land linked to former chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao’s farmhouse during a debate in the state Assembly.

Reddy was speaking during a discussion on the 22-A prohibited properties list when he targeted the opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and alleged that the party had sought to stall the Assembly session. He said several contentious issues, including alleged government land encroachment, fee reimbursement and drought-related concerns, were expected to come up for discussion.

Revanth Reddy orders inquiry into KCR farmhouse land

Turning his attention to KCR and his extended family, Reddy said the government had identified substantial landholdings associated with members of the former chief minister’s family and their associates.

“I am ordering an inquiry into the lands of KCR’s farmhouse,” Reddy said in the Assembly. He added that if the landholdings were found to be in violation of the law, the government would take possession of the land and distribute eligible land to Dalits.

According to figures cited by Reddy in the Assembly, KCR and his extended family members allegedly hold around 440 acres across nine districts, 24 mandals and 31 villages.

Revanth Reddy targets BRS in Assembly

During his speech, Reddy also accused the BRS of trying to disrupt the Assembly session. He referred to several issues that he said were expected to be discussed, including alleged plundering of government land, fee reimbursement and drought-related matters.

Reddy also spoke about the history of Hyderabad under the Nizam and described the Nizam government as an effective administrator while discussing the region’s historical development.

KCR’s absence from Telangana Assembly

The Monsoon session of the Telangana Assembly began on September 7 and has been marked by disruptions. Twenty-two BRS MLAs were suspended for the remainder of the session.

KCR, who is the BRS chief and Leader of the Opposition, has not attended the current session. According to the report, KCR last appeared in the Assembly in December 2025, with the ruling Congress and Revanth Reddy questioning his absence.

India could face a tariff of up to 100 per cent under a US bill targeting countries that continue to buy oil and gas from Russia, after the legislation cleared a procedural hurdle in the US House of Representatives.

The Lindsey O Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 was advanced by the House on Tuesday evening in a 214-211 vote. The bill is expected to face a final House vote on Wednesday.

If passed by the House and subsequently signed by President Donald Trump, the legislation would authorise the US president to impose 100 per cent tariffs on Russia’s major oil-trading partners, including India and China.

However, no new 100 per cent tariff on India has been imposed under this bill at this stage. The legislation still has to clear the House and then be sent to the President for his signature.

What the Russia sanctions bill proposes

The bill seeks to impose additional sanctions on Russia’s leadership and energy sector. It also targets the so-called “shadow fleet” of vessels used to help Moscow circumvent sanctions linked to oil deliveries.

The legislation would give President Trump authority to impose 100 per cent tariffs on major buyers of Russian oil and gas.

The US argues that revenue from Russia’s crude oil trade is helping finance the war in Ukraine.

Bill already passed US Senate

The US Senate passed the legislation on August 7 with an 86-11 vote.

The Senate version does not specifically name Russia’s trading partners. Instead, it refers to the five largest importers of Russian oil and gas by volume.

The House legislation is now moving through the lower chamber, where lawmakers are expected to hold the final vote before the chamber begins an early recess on Thursday.

Why India is facing tariff risk

India is among the major purchasers of Russian oil and gas. The proposed legislation seeks to give the US President the authority to impose tariffs on countries that continue such purchases.

The measure comes as groups supporting Ukraine have increased lobbying efforts among US lawmakers. The Ukraine Action Summit, organised by the American Coalition for Ukraine, is also taking place in Washington.

Democratic Congressman Gregory Meeks, the ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, has opposed the bill. He argued that it could give President Trump broad authority to impose tariffs without sufficient safeguards.

What happens next

The House is expected to take up the bill for a final vote on Wednesday. If it passes, the legislation would then be sent to President Trump for his signature.

The House is scheduled to begin an early recess on Thursday and is expected to reconvene on November 9 after the US midterm elections.

For now, the key point is that India faces a potential 100 per cent tariff under the proposed legislation, but the tariff has not yet been imposed as a result of this bill.

A new charging framework for certain UPI merchant payments above Rs 2,000 will come into effect from October 15, 2026. However, consumers will continue to use UPI without paying the new charges.

The new UPI Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) framework applies to payments made by consumers to merchants. Under the framework, a 0.4% charge will be levied on eligible merchant transactions above Rs 2,000. The charge will not be passed on to customers, according to the Finance Ministry.

Which UPI transactions will attract charges?

The new framework covers person-to-merchant (P2M) transactions above Rs 2,000. Payments between individuals, or person-to-person (P2P) transactions, will remain free irrespective of the transaction amount.

P2M transactions up to Rs 2,000 will also remain outside the scope of MDR.

For certain merchant categories, including railways, telecom services, insurance and fuel, a flat charge of Rs 5 will apply to UPI payments above Rs 2,000.

Consumers will not have to pay the new fee

The new charges are applicable to merchants and are not meant to be added to the amount paid by customers.

The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) said consumers will continue to transact using UPI free of cost. This means that sending money to another person through UPI will remain free, while eligible merchant transactions above Rs 2,000 will come under the new MDR framework.

New UPI framework starts October 15

The revised MDR framework will become effective from October 15, 2026. The changes introduce charges for specified merchant transactions while keeping person-to-person payments and smaller merchant payments outside the MDR framework.