Dalit farmers in Budvel, Ranga Reddy district, protested with their families, urging the government for a fair share of land as compensation during a land pooling project. A total of 66 families of ‘pattadars’ and 82 encroachers participated in the protest, which lasted for an hour. These families argued that the amount of land the government has allocated is not enough to accommodate their extended families.
According to Korani Sadanand, the president of Telangana Rythu Sangham, Budvel, in 1973-74, former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi assigned 4-5 acres of land to farmers in the village and issued patta passbooks and certificates. However, the land was later sold to others, leading to the cancellation of these documents by the then collector. Despite raising the issue with various authorities, including the MRO, the collector, and local public representatives, the farmers’ complaints were ignored. In 2008, the farmers approached the high court and obtained a favorable order, including instructions to add their names to the revenue records.
As time passed, the families of assignees grew, and their micro families turned into extended ones. The previously fixed allocation of 800 sqyd per five acres is now considered insufficient. Therefore, the farmers are requesting the government to provide 1000 sq yd per acre to each assignee in Budvel under the land pooling project.
