Vikarabad set for industrial corridor as land acquisition nears completion
Govt offers Rs 20 lakh/acre, plots, housing, jobs; some farmers still resist land acquisition
Hyderabad: Land acquisition for the proposed multi-purpose industrial corridor in Vikarabad district is nearing completion, paving the way for Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy to lay the foundation stone for the project in September.
The government had announced plans to construct a pharma cluster in Vikarabad last year and began land acquisition. The exercise triggered strong protests from farmers and local residents, who opposed the setting up of pharmaceutical units, citing fears of pollution and environmental hazards.
A public hearing held at Lagacharla in November 2024 turned violent, with villagers pelting stones and targeting officials, including Vikarabad collector Prateek Jain. Following this, the High Court issued interim stay orders on land acquisition, forcing the government to drop the pharma cluster plan and redesign it as a multi-purpose industrial corridor.
The revised project gained renewed focus under Revanth Reddy, who represents Kodangal, the constituency under which the project area falls. The government sees the corridor as a means to generate employment for local youth and spur industrial growth in the backward region.
The state identified 1,177 acres for the project, of which 975 acres have been acquired. Farmers were persuaded through a package that included compensation of ₹20 lakh per acre, allotment of a 150 sq. yard developed plot in a DTCP layout, an Indiramma housing unit and a government job per affected family. Compensation has already been paid to those who handed over their lands.
According to official sources, about 150 acres remain to be acquired. These include 47 acres in Rotibanda thanda, 32 acres in Hakimpet, 20 acres in PC thanda, 12 acres in Lagacharla, and 39 acres spread across other villages. Some farmers are still resisting acquisition, forcing the government to issue a notification to extend the general award.
If implemented, this will reduce the compensation drastically to Rs 6.75 lakh per acre along with an additional Rs 5 lakh for rehabilitation, compared to the earlier package. Meanwhile, officials are developing a 100-acre layout along the Hakimpet-Tunkimetla road to provide plots to displaced farmers.
