Hyderabad: Landowners oppose Gandhi Sarovar project land acquisition in Kismatpur

Around 150 families in Kismatpur are preparing to protest against land acquisition for the Gandhi Sarovar Project under the Musi Riverfront Development. Landowners allege forced acquisition and demand Rs 10 crore per acre as compensation.

Hyderabad: While 425 families of Madhu Park Ridge (MPR) at Bandlaguda Jagir have already taken the path of protests against displacement for the Gandhi Sarovar Project, another 150 families at Kismatpur, about 5 km away from the MPR, and impacted by the project initiated by the Congress government as part of the Musi Riverfront Development, are now gearing up to launch protests.

The families said their concerns stem from what they described as their ancestors’ lands being taken away for the Gandhi Sarovar Project.

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Rajendranagar revenue authorities have issued a notification stating that a total of 19.10 acres of land will be acquired for the Gandhi Sarovar Project at Kismatpur village in Gandipet mandal. The notification stated that Kismatpur village and nearby Dargah Khaliz Khan at HMBS Colony in Kismatpur would be affected.

All these land parcels were once fertile lands and landowners used to cultivate paddy. But for the past one decade, the landowners stopped cultivation due to scanty rains and the lands have been lying vacant.

A landowner, Aslam Bin Abdullah, said he was losing nearly 10 acres of land in the Dargah Khaliz Khan area and added, “Losing my ancestors’ property for the project causes unbearable pain to us. We have been protecting it over the past five decades and it feeds our entire family.”

Another 150 families who depend on small land parcels are also impacted due to the project. “We are a very poor family and have been protecting this land parcel over the past several years from encroachers. Now, the Revanth Reddy government is forcibly taking it for the project, which is unacceptable,” said another property owner.

Another resident of Kismatpur, A Santosh Goud, said, “The then BRS government did not propose any project that affected hundreds of families, but the Congress government is forcibly acquiring the land. We cannot understand why the Congress government is playing dramas in the name of a buffer zone while acquiring land worth crores of rupees.”

A couple of weeks ago, Kismatpur landowners and locals resisted revenue authorities when they came to conduct a Grama Sabha on land acquisition. Since then, the revenue authorities have stayed away from Kismatpur.

Aslam Bin Abdullah, landowner, Kismatpur:

“Unless the state government pays the market rate per acre of Rs 10 crore, we will not accept it. The affected families will knock on the doors of the courts if needed.”

A Santosh Goud, resident, Kismatpur:

“The state government has to seek either public opinion or consent from landowners before it initiates land acquisition for the project. Information about the buffer zone has to be communicated to the affected property owners.”