BRS accuses Telangana government of acquiring farmers’ lands for bullet train project

BRS leaders accused the Telangana government of forcibly acquiring farmers’ lands for a proposed bullet train project despite its alignment remaining unfinalised. They also raised concerns over greenfield highway plans, Pharma City land acquisition and alleged pressure on farmers.

Hyderabad: BRS Legislature Party deputy leader P Sabitha Indra Reddy on Tuesday accused the Revanth Reddy government of forcibly acquiring farmers’ lands for the proposed bullet train project, despite its alignment not being finalised. She recalled that Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had clarified that the alignment was yet to be finalised and the Centre had not asked the State government to acquire land for the project.

“Why were farmers’ lands in Bahaduruguda taken under police protection when the project’s location is not even finalised?” she asked, demanding an explanation from Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and Union Minister G Kishan Reddy over the alleged marking of boundaries for the project.

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Addressing a press conference at Telangana Bhavan here, Sabitha Indra Reddy alleged that thousands of acres were being acquired across undivided Rangareddy district without clearly explaining the purpose. She questioned the need for a new road from Kotwalguda to Kodangal when a road already connected Shamshabad, alleging that farmers were being pressured to part with their lands.

“Land was acquired unnecessarily in the name of a greenfield highway in my constituency by spreading fear among farmers. Government lands in Nadergul have been fenced, terming them as private lands,” she said, pointing to a farmer’s suicide attempt at Lagcherla in protest against land acquisition.

Former MLA Manchireddy Kishan Reddy alleged that the Congress government had cancelled the proposed 14,000-acre Pharma City project and issued a notification to acquire another 2,500 acres nearby without public consultation.

“While existing government lands worth Rs 60,000 crore in Ibrahimpatnam constituency were mortgaged for Rs 10,000 crore, fresh land acquisition has been carried out in two villages in Ibrahimpatnam for the proposed bullet train project,” he said.

Former MLA Patnam Narender Reddy accused the Chief Minister of pursuing land acquisition to serve real estate interests. He said a farmer in Kodangal was denied electricity for refusing to part with his land.

BRS MLC Surabhi Vani Devi also criticised land acquisition without prior information, citing the removal of a statue of her father and former Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao near KBR Park.