Bahadurpally farmers facing land acquisition for a proposed bullet train project have received political backing from BRS working president KT Rama Rao, who alleged that police force was used in villages where disputes over land ownership remain unresolved.
Addressing a meeting with affected farmers at Telangana Bhavan on Monday, Rama Rao said the BRS was not opposed to the bullet train or development projects but objected to what he described as the misuse of the project to facilitate a real-estate venture. His remarks were reported by the Times of India.
Rama Rao questioned why a large police presence was being deployed at farmers’ homes if the state government was confident of its legal claim over the disputed land. He demanded that the government place its records and supporting documents before the affected residents instead of using police action to intimidate them.
“If the govt has valid records and documents, it should place them before the farmers. There is no need to use police force to intimidate people,” Rama Rao said, according to the report.
The dispute is linked to land acquisition for a proposed bullet train project in Bahadurpally. The report does not provide details of the project’s alignment, the total area proposed for acquisition, the number of affected families, or the stage of the acquisition process. It also does not include a response from the Telangana government or the authorities alleged to have deployed police personnel.
Rama Rao said the BRS supported development initiatives, including the bullet train, but would not accept what he called injustice to farmers or the use of an infrastructure project to generate real-estate gains. He said the party would continue to support the affected residents through political and legal channels.
The BRS leader also linked the dispute to promises made during the 2023 Assembly elections concerning land rights and ownership pattas for eligible beneficiaries. He alleged that the Congress government had not fulfilled commitments relating to land titles for farmers and weaker sections, creating uncertainty over ownership.
Rama Rao referred to earlier statements by public representatives on issuing pattas and asked the government to clarify why the promised documents had not yet been distributed. He demanded that eligible farmers be given legal ownership documents and that the land dispute be resolved immediately.
For the affected residents, the central issue is not only the proposed infrastructure project but also the documentary basis for the government’s claim over the land and the process through which ownership rights are being determined. The report does not establish whether acquisition notices, compensation decisions or formal title records have been issued in the cases raised by the farmers.
Rama Rao assured the farmers that the BRS would continue to pursue the matter politically and legally. The next steps from the Telangana government, including any clarification on land records, pattas, acquisition proceedings or the alleged police deployment, remain awaited.
