Telangana Government Withdraws Land Acquisition for Pharma Village After Protests
The Telangana government has decided to cancel its earlier orders for land acquisition in Lagacharla, which were intended for the establishment of a Pharma village. This decision comes after strong protests by local tribal communities who opposed the project. Instead, the government announced that the land will now be used to set up a multipurpose industrial park.
The situation escalated when villagers in Lagacharla, part of the Kodangal Assembly constituency represented by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, attacked district officials during a Grama Sabha meeting about the proposed land acquisition. Following the incident, some villagers were arrested for assaulting the officials. The issue caught national attention when opposition parties sought the intervention of the National Human Rights Commission and the SC and ST Commission to support the villagers.
In response to the protests, the Telangana Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (TGIIC) submitted a fresh proposal for a multipurpose industrial park instead of the Pharma village. This new plan covers land in three villages, including Lagacharla. On Friday, the Vikarabad Collector appointed the Tandur Sub-Collector as the Land Acquisition Officer (LAO) to oversee the new process, adhering to the provisions of the RFCTLARR Act (Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation, and Resettlement Act) of 2013.
Previously, on August 1, 2024, the government had approved a notification under Section 11 of the Land Acquisition Act for acquiring 632 acres and 26 guntas of land in various survey numbers of Lagacharla village for the Pharma village. However, after reconsideration, the TGIIC withdrew its proposals for the Pharma village and submitted fresh plans for the industrial park.
The withdrawal of the earlier acquisition process has been carried out under Section 93 of the RFCTLARR Act. With the new requisition in place, the Telangana government is moving forward with plans to establish the multipurpose industrial park, prioritizing a different industrial development model for the region.
