Batla Chandraram farmers in Parigi reject land acquisition for industrial park

Farmers from Batla Chandraram village in Vikarabad district have declared they will not surrender their fertile lands for a proposed industrial park. At a press conference, they warned of intensifying protests, including a statewide bandh.

Hyderabad: Farmers from Batla Chandraram village in Pargi constituency, Vikarabad declared that they would not part with their fertile lands for the proposed industrial park under any circumstances.

The farmers charged that the government was planning to acquire 235 acres of fertile lands in their village. The farmers said they were prepared to intensify their agitation and take the protest from Batla Chandraram to Delhi, if required.

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This apart, they warned of conducting protests at Gandhi Bhavan and the Secretariat, and said Congress leaders would face resistance during visits to their villages. The farmers also announced plans to call for a statewide bandh, if the government proceeds with land acquisition.

The farmers addressed a press conference here on Saturday.

A farmer Srisailam Yadav said their families had been cultivating the fertile lands for generations and depended on them for survival. He said the fields yield two to three crops annually and serve as the primary source of livelihood for hundreds of families.

He argued that the government should utilise available government land for industrial projects and spare productive farmlands.

Yadav accused the Congress government of betraying farmers after coming to power with promises of welfare and support. He said the government was now attempting to deprive farmers of their only source of income.

He also questioned the need to acquire more land when large tracts previously acquired near Jadcherla and Zaheerabad were yet to be fully utilised for industries.

“Lands were acquired forcibly from farmers in Lagacherla and still there has been no development. We will resist any attempt to forcibly acquire our lands,” Yadav stressed.

Another farmer Muni Kumar said the lands were ancestral assets and giving them up would leave them displaced, besides destroying their future.

He alleged that the local Congress MLA and his associates were misleading villagers by promising financial gains from surrendering their lands. Due to uncertainty and fear, he claimed that nearly 50 villagers had already sold their milch animals.

Similarly, Mogilaiah, another farmer, said the compensation being offered was Rs. 25 lakh per acre, while the actual market value exceeded Rs. 1 crore.

Farmer Srisailam Mudiraj alleged that a land acquisition notice was issued on March 15 but was not properly communicated to farmers.

He charged that the notice was only pasted on the Gram Panchayat notice board and that local authorities failed to inform the affected families.