Land acquisition for bullet train hub at Bahadurguda triggers row

The Telangana government's move to acquire land for proposed high-speed rail corridors linking Hyderabad with Chennai, Bengaluru and Pune has come under scrutiny after the Centre clarified that it had not sought land acquisition for the project. The issue has triggered opposition from farmers and landowners, particularly in Bahadurguda near Shamshabad.

Hyderabad: The Telangana government’s move to acquire land for proposed high-speed rail corridors has come into sharp focus after the Centre has clarified that it had not asked the State Government to acquire land for the project.

The land acquisition move, undertaken without a formal requisition from the Central government, threatens to snowball into a major controversy, with the farmers and landowners stoutly opposing the move.

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Three high-speed rail corridors, connecting Hyderabad with Chennai, Bengaluru and Pune, have been proposed. However, the State government has reportedly begun the land acquisition exercise despite the absence of a formal requisition from the Centre.

The move has drawn strong objections from farmers and landowners who are reluctant to part with their lands for the project. In July, several farmers were taken into custody by the police at Bahadurguda near Shamshabad when they protested against officials’ attempts to fence off 650 acres.

The farmers refused to surrender their lands and demanded clear assurances from the government before any acquisition was undertaken. Officials had attempted to fence off about 650 acres in Survey Nos. 28 and 62, identified for the proposed bullet train hub.

Against the backdrop of opposition from farmers and landowners, and the Central government’s clarification that it had not sought land acquisition, questions are being raised over the State government’s plans.

People from various sections have questioned why the State government was seeking to forcibly acquire farmers’ lands, and which project the proposed acquisition was intended to serve. Demands have mounted for the government to clarify the purpose and status of the land acquisition exercise.

It is also learnt that the State government sought land or financial assistance from the Centre in lieu of the 400 acres earmarked for the proposed bullet train hub at Bahadurguda in Shamshabad. The State Cabinet approved the proposal on July 17.

The government had proposed either exchanging the 400 acres for land belonging to the Railways or other Central government organisations within the Outer Ring Road (ORR), or adjusting the value of the land against the State government’s equity contribution to the bullet train project.