Eight families ostracised for opposing sale of panchayat land in Nizamabad

The families have been experiencing social isolation for the past week. The VDC, an informal organization aimed at supporting the village's development, has issued an order forbidding anyone from speaking to the ostracized families.

Nizamabad: Eight families of Pochampally village of Velpur mandal of the Balkonda assembly segment have been ostracised for allegedly opposing the sale of Gram Panchayat lands by the local village development committee.

The families have been facing social alienation since the last one week. The VDC, which is an informal body to aid the development of the village, in its diktat has ordered that people should not even speak to the families who have been ostracised .

---

The eight families have lodged a complaint with the police, who have registered a case against VDC president J Mutyam, members Chintalapalli Ganga Reddy, H Ramesh and A Chinnaiah.

It all began with the eight families opposing the VDC decision to sell three plots of Gram Panchayat lands measuring 90, 100 and 120 square yards in Pochampally village. The family members reportedly complained to the panchayat secretary and the Mandal Parishad Development Officer (MPDO) against the VDC members.

Enraged over the action of the eight families, the VDC members had also imposed a fine of Rs.3 lakh and Rs.26,000 towards expenses. The VDC asked the villagers to keep away from the families and warned that if anyone tried to help the families, a fine of Rs.5,000 would be imposed on them.

Following the dikhat issued by the VDC, the eight families approached the Velpur police and lodged a complaint. Velpur Sub Inspector Sanjeev informed that he had summoned the VDC president and other members to discuss the issue.

Last January, the VDC had ordered ostracising of five families in Jakranpally village and mandal in Nizamabad district. Despite an FIR lodged against the VDC members, nothing much happened and the victims had to approach the High Court to get respite. In 2022 too, the VDC ostracized 400 people belonging to the Munnuru Kapu community in Shapur village of Nandipet mandal in Nizamabad.

In 2021, around 70 families belonging to the Mala (Dalit) community were socially boycotted as they opposed alleged encroachment of land for a plant nursery in Ramchandrapally village of Makloor mandal in Nizamabad district.

Village Development Committees use ostracising as a weapon to silence dissent in the villages, causing irreparable damage to the social harmony of the communities.