Farmers’ protests intensify as Regional Ring Road realignment sparks controversy

RRR project around Hyderabad faces major hurdles as farmers intensify protests against alleged biased realignment shielding lands of Congress leaders and firms. While the government targets 2027-28 completion, uncertainty persists amid displacement, compensation disputes, and growing unrest

Hyderabad: The Regional Ring Road project is mired in controversy. Farmers’ protests have intensified over realignment decisions that allegedly shield lands of Congress leaders and private firms while thousands of ryots were displaced from their fertile agriculture lands. Uncertainty looms over its implementation as scheduled even as the Congress government is pushing for its completion by 2027-28.

The changes in the alignment on the southern corridor have sparked accusations that influential leaders were able to save their lands from acquisition at the cost of poor farmers without political clout. Farmers across all the political lines have been voicing their concerns triggering widespread protests to fight the injustice. The demands for fair compensation are getting louder.

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The RRR, a six-lane expressway encircling the city 30-50 km beyond the Outer Ring Road (ORR), was proposed in 2018 under the Bharatmala Pariyojana. The works on the northern stretch (182 km), which gained momentum during the BRS regime, were in full progress. Nearly 90% land acquisition process was completed. But the southern arm (158 km) is lagging due to disputes.

In August 2024, the Congress government decided in favour of alignment to address issues on the plea of ensuring optimal benefits for the state, including radial links for pharma and logistics parks. In the process, it is alleged that the modifications helped in extending routes by kilometres to bypass resorts and ventures owned by ruling party figures in Yadadri-Bhongir and Rangareddy districts.

Over the past two years, protests have escalated demanding fair compensation. The realigned paths were outrightly opposed by them. Since January 2024, farmers started staging protests urging adherence to original designs in Yadadri-Bhongir and other districts. The Bhongir municipality passed a resolution for route changes to spare agriculture lands.

Project mired in controversy

November 2024: Sporadic dharnas were organised in Sangareddy and Nalgonda with farmers laying siege to government offices. They staged protests at Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy’s residence, seeking adequate compensation plus allotment of plots.

August 2025: HMDA notifies 100m-wide RRR through 163 villages, inviting objections till September 15. Farmers decry loss of 20,000 acres of irrigated land.

September 7, 2025: Responding to the uproar, Munugode MLA Komatireddy Raj Gopal Reddy accused his own government of bias in realignment process. At a meeting in Samsthan Narayanapur, he said, “The southern alignment was twisted to save private companies on Choutuppal—Munugode route.”

September 8: Hundreds stormed HMDA’s Ameerpet office, blocked roads and halted traffic at Mythrivanam junction. Protesters from seven districts demanded restoration of original alignment.

September 12: Farmers, especially RRR Oustees’ Forum, laid siege to RDO office at Choutuppal.

September 15: In Pudur mandal, farmers organised a rally, accusing favouritism toward Congress lands. BRS working president KT Rama Rao visited the affected villages in Nalgonda on the same day, vowing poll boycotts until realignment reversal. He blamed the Congress government for not fulfilling poll promises made by Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi.

September 29: Komatireddy Raj Gopal Reddy alleges influential leaders close to the Congress regime bought thousands of acres beside the RRR. He offered to resign for the cause of farmers.

Despite warning by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy to take action against officials, who failed to meet land acquisition deadlines, the stalemate continues with farmers demanding Rs 50 lakh per acre as compensation along with jobs for the displaced.