KTR slams Congress leaders for grabbing compensatory plots of Pharma City oustees

In a statement, Rama Rao reminded Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy about his electoral promise to cancel the Pharma City project and return the lands to farmers.

Hyderabad: BRS working president KT Rama Rao on Wednesday said Congress leaders were forcibly grabbing residential plots given as compensation for displaced farmers who gave up their holdings for the Hyderabad’s Green Pharma City project.

The plots were part of the compensation package given to farmers in Maheshwaram and Ibrahimpatnam constituencies by the previous BRS government, he said, urging the State government to cancel illegal registrations and ensure that rightful ownership was restored to farmers.

---

In a statement, Rama Rao reminded Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy about his electoral promise to cancel the Pharma City project and return the lands to farmers. However, the Chief Minister had not only failed to deliver on his promise, but now Congress leaders had descended like vultures on the compensatory plots allotted to the affected farmers, he said, adding that farmers voluntarily surrendered land in support of the 19,400-cre project, trusting former Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao’s vision for industrial growth.

The BRS government had compensated farmers with Rs.16.5 lakh per acre for patta land and Rs 8.5 lakh for assigned land, along with 121 sq yards of residential plot per acre land surrendered to the State. The government had also allocated 1,400 acres for the oustees in Mirkhanpet and prepared a layout plan to develop around a 560-acre layout.

However, due to the Assembly elections, the land distribution was temporarily halted. But now, the Congress government has kept the process frozen for 18 months, paving the way for Congress leaders to usurp the lands, the BRS working president said, adding that the lands, originally given to farmers in lieu of acquisition, were now being registered in the names of the Congress leaders.

“Why are farmers being looted of their rightful compensation? Why are these lands being registered in the names of Congress leaders at less than a quarter of the market value?” he asked, stating that the Congress government’s actions indicated its shamelessness and utter disregard for the sacrifices made by farmers for Telangana’s development.

“It takes a shameless Congress government to loot farmers who gave their lands for the State’s progress,” he remarked.