Farmers from CM Revanth’s constituency intensify protests against Pharma Villages

The farmers clashed with police near Hakimpet, while they were on their way to the Dudyal Mandal Revenue Officer's office in Kodangal constituency, represented by CM A Revanth Reddy.

Hyderabad: Protests against the proposed Pharma Villages in the State are getting louder with villagers, especially farmers and Opposition parties staging demonstrations, opposing the move. The farmers clashed with the police near Hakimpet on Wednesday, while they were on their way to the Dudyal Mandal Revenue Officer’s office in Kodangal constituency, represented by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy.

Farmers at Hakimpet have been protesting for the last 27 days, raising concerns over environmental pollution caused by the Pharma Village, a cluster for pharma companies. The farmers gave a call for Maha Padayatra from Polepally to the Dudyal MRO office on Wednesday, but were stopped by the police near Hakimpet in Dudyal Mandal, where the government proposes to set up the Pharma Village. Former BRS MLA Patnam Narender Reddy and other BRS cadre joined the rally in support of farmers. However, the police personnel deployed in large numbers stopped the protesters from moving forward and arrested them.

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The protesters stated that Revanth Reddy and his brothers were forcibly taking their lands to allocate them to pharma companies, threatening their livelihoods. They vowed to continue their protest and intensify them until the State government withdrew its proposal.

Villagers from Yacharam mandal in Ibrahimpatnam constituency also staged demonstrations and played Bathukamma in protest against the Pharma Village in their agricultural lands. They demanded that the State government withdraw its proposals, failing which they would intensify their struggle.

The previous BRS government had proposed the Hyderabad Pharma City project on 14,000 acres of land in Yacharam Mandal in Rangareddy district. After Congress came to power, the Chief Minister announced that the government would scrap the Pharma City plan and instead establish Pharma Villages. However, the State has also been making contradictory announcements, telling the High Court that the Pharma City plan was still very much on.