‘Paltry compensation’: Telangana farmers intensify protest against Regional Ring Road project

Farmers are intensifying their protests against the Regional Ring Road (RRR) Project, which threatens to displace them from their lands in different districts

Hyderabad: Farmers are intensifying their protests against the Regional Ring Road (RRR) Project, which threatens to displace them from their lands in different districts. Despite their efforts to save their lands, the State government has turned a deaf ear to their pleas, leading to growing discontent among the farmers.

Their recent attempt to stage a peaceful protest near the Bhongir collectorate was thwarted.

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The farmers, who held a meeting in Raigiri on Sunday, announced that they would disclose their plan of action in a couple of days after consulting with those facing the risk of displacement due to the land acquisition for the project. Avusetty Pandu, a leader of the Joint Action Committee (JAC), expressed frustration over their failed attempts to reach out to Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy‘s office.

Pandu highlighted that several Congress leaders, including Roads and Buildings Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and Telangana State Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Commission chairman M. Kodanda Reddy, had sympathized with the farmers before the Congress party came to power. However, since assuming power, these leaders had avoided addressing the farmers’ concerns.

The key issue for the affected farmers was not compensation but whether to give up their lands for the road project. The matter has already been challenged in court, and the legal battle is expected to continue.

Six villages in the Bhongir revenue division are seriously impacted by the land acquisition exercise, with lands close to the Collectorate also being acquired. The farmers have repeatedly refused to attend meetings with revenue officials to discuss compensation, as they are unwilling to part with their ancestral properties.

The situation is particularly serious in Choutuppal, where residential pockets are being affected. Congress leaders in the State have criticized the acquisition of lands within municipal limits and have called on the government to take action. The farmers remain determined to protect their lands and are planning their next steps in the ongoing struggle against the RRR Project.

In Bhongir district, some lands are offered a compensation of Rs 48 lakh per acre (three times of the land values – Rs 16 lakh X 3). For lands in the municipal areas it will be only two times of the land value.