Hyderabad: The state government on Friday retracted its land acquisition notification for 1,358 acres in Lagcharla, Polepally, and Hakeempet of Dudyal mandal, Vikarabad district, following protests by locals over the establishment of polluting pharmaceutical industries.
A fresh notification will be issued to acquire land for a proposed multipurpose industrial park, prioritising non-polluting industries, particularly textile units.
Official sources said that legal experts had raised concerns about potential legal hurdles if the land acquired for pharma villages was repurposed for the industrial corridor. They recommended withdrawing the previous land acquisition notification and issuing a fresh document to avoid complications.
The withdrawal of the land acquisition notification for the pharma villages marked a significant step in addressing local concerns. The proposed industrial park is expected to strike a balance between economic development and environmental sustainability while generating employment opportunities for youth and women in the region.
The Telangana State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (TGIIC) has submitted new requisition proposals to the Vikarabad district administration for acquiring land to establish the industrial park. Subsequently, district collector Prateek Jain appointed the Tandur sub-collector as land acquisition officer (LAO) for this purpose.
On June 7 this year, the TGIIC had proposed the establishment of pharma villages, requesting the acquisition of 1,358.37 acres of assigned and patta land in Hakimpet, Polepally, and Lagcharla villages. Notifications were issued in July and August for acquiring 71.39 acres in Polepally and 632.26 acres in Lagcharla. Local tribal farmers and villagers strongly opposed the plans, citing concerns about environmental pollution.
Following the protests, including the assault on the Vikarabad collector, the TGIIC withdrew its proposal for the pharma villages, and the Vikarabad administration rescinded the land acquisition notifications for Polepally and Lagcharla. Notifications confirming the withdrawal were published in English and vernacular dailies on November 24. However, the status of the Hakimpet land acquisition still remains unclear.
Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on November 23 assured that only pollution-free industries would be part of the industrial corridor, countering claims by opposition parties about a proposed Pharma City during a meeting with leaders of Left Parties at Secretariat.
The CM emphasised his commitment to the development of Kodangal, his home constituency, stating, “The welfare of my people is my responsibility.” The CM reiterated his commitment to enhance compensation packages for land acquisition to ensure fair treatment of affected landowners.
