Tension during public hearing on Pharma Village in Telangana’s Vikarabad district

Hyderabad: Tension prevailed in a village in Telangana’s Vikarabad district on Friday as local people staged violent protests and also attempted self-immolation against the proposed Pharma Village, forcing the authorities to postpone a public hearing.

Local people, including women in Rotibanda Thanda in Dudyal Mandal, pelted stones at the car of Mandal Congress president Aveti Shekhar, resulting in injuries to him.

Some villagers doused kerosene on themselves attempting immolation to protest against the project. Police personnel intervened to stop them.

There was a scuffle between police and protesters near Panchayat Bhavan. The police resorted to lathicharge, injuring a few protesters.

Following the protest, the officials postponed the public hearing on Pharma Village, a cluster for pharma companies.

The protesters alleged that mandal Congress president Shekhar was supporting Pharma Village, which poses a threat to their livelihood. When he arrived in the village, the protesters tried to attack him. The police escorted the Congress leader to Panchayat Bhavan but the villagers tried to barge into the building, leading to high tension. Police then resorted to lathi charges to control the mob.

People in Dudyal Mandal in Kodangal Assembly constituency, represented by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy has been opposing the Pharma Village project.

Earlier this month, the farmers had given a call for padayatra from Polepally to Dudyal Mandal Revenue Officer (MRO) office.

Chief Minister’s proposal to establish a Pharma Village in his constituency is facing stiff resistance from farmers. They argue that the land acquisition plan threatened their livelihoods and they have vowed to continue their protest until the government withdraws its proposal.

Opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) is supporting the protest by the villagers against the project.

During a protest last month, a woman farmer threatened to take her life if her land was taken away for the project.

The State government plans to acquire 1274.25 acres of government and patta lands from the villages of Hakimpet, Polepalli, and Lakacharla in Dudyal Mandal for the proposed pharma village.