On Saturday, fresh notifications were issued for acquiring 71.39 acres in Polepally and 110.32 acres in Lagacherla villages, this time for a multipurpose industrial park

Hyderabad: Even as tribal farmers and villagers are standing firm over not parting with their lands in Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy’s Kodangal constituency, the Vikarabad district administration had issued fresh notifications for acquiring land in Polepally and Lagacherla under Dudyal mandal.

In the earlier notifications, 1358.37 acres were to be acquired in Hakimpet, Polepally and Lagacherla for establishing a pharma village in the same mandal. However, with tribal farmers and residents putting up a relentless fight, the notifications were withdrawn on Friday.

---

On Saturday, fresh notifications were issued for acquiring 71.39 acres in Polepally and 110.32 acres in Lagacherla villages, this time for a multipurpose industrial park.

Compared to the last notification, the land acquisition area has been curtailed from 632.26 acres to 110.32 acres in Lagacherla, while the acquisition area remains the same in Polepally village.

The farmers and residents have been vociferously declaring that they would not part with their lands. Yet, the State government is sticking to its plans on acquisition and this time it is for a multipurpose industrial park in place of a pharma village.

Ever since the land acquisition notification was issued on August 3, the farmers and villagers have been up in arms against acquisition. Since the last few months, protests have been staged at different places over the State government’s plans.

On November 12, Vikarabad district Collector Prateek Jain and KADA special officer Venkat Reddy were chased away by the villagers when they wanted to conduct a public hearing programme in Lagacherla.

A few persons, including farmers have been arrested in connection with the incident. Women had complained about atrocities by police at midnight.

Following the incident, National Commission for Scheduled Tribes Jatothu Hussain Nayak visited Lagacherla and neighbouring villages and interacted with the farmers and villagers.

Speaking to media persons, Hussain Nayak had said the farmers and residents were not willing to part with their lands for any kind of projects.

This apart, the National Human Rights Commission had taken cognizance of the Lagacherla incident and a three-member delegation visited the village and interacted with the farmers. They also visited the Sangareddy jail where the farmers have been jailed and interacted with them.