Telangana Government Withdraws Pharma Village Plan, Proposes Multipurpose Industrial Park
Hyderabad, Nov 29: In response to public resistance, the Telangana government has withdrawn its notification for land acquisition intended for the proposed ‘Pharma Village’ in Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy’s constituency, Kodangal. Instead, the government plans to acquire land for a multipurpose industrial park.
The decision follows violent protests in Lagacherla village on November 11, where the Vikarabad District Collector and other officials faced an attack during a public hearing. The incident escalated into a political controversy, with the ruling Congress party accusing the opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) of instigating the unrest, while the BRS alleged that the land acquisition was for a pharma company linked to the Chief Minister’s son-in-law.
Initial Land Acquisition Plan and Resistance
The Telangana Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (TGIIC) had issued notifications for acquiring 1,358.37 acres of Assigned and Patta land in the villages of Hakeempet, Polepally, and Lagacherla in Dudyal Mandal for the Pharma Village. This included 71.39 acres in Polepally and 632.26 acres in Lagacherla, affecting 580 farmers.
During the public hearing in Lagacherla, violence broke out when District Collector Prateek Jain, Additional Collector Lingaiah Naik, Sub-Collector Umashankar Prasad, and Kodangal Area Development Authority (KADA) Special Officer Venkat Reddy engaged with farmers. The officials were attacked with stones and sticks, injuring Venkat Reddy and Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Srinivas Reddy, who tried to protect him.
Arrests and Political Fallout
The police arrested several villagers following the incident. Former BRS MLA Patnam Narender Reddy, accused of inciting the violence, was arrested on November 13 and remains in judicial custody.
Shift to Multipurpose Industrial Park
In light of the controversy, the TGIIC proposed withdrawing the Pharma Village plan. An official statement on Friday confirmed that fresh proposals would be submitted to acquire land for a multipurpose industrial park.
The Vikarabad District Collector has appointed the Sub-Collector of Tandur as the Land Acquisition Officer (LAO) for the project. This marks a shift in the government’s approach to industrial development in the region, aiming to reduce opposition and address concerns from local communities.
