As residents continue to resist the establishment of a pharma cluster in Chief Minister Revanth Reddy’s constituency Kodangal, in Telangana’s Vikarabad district, the CM has declared that no such pharma city will be established. He said that the government is instead setting up an “industrial corridor” with “only pollution-free industries.” CM Revanth made this announcement after a delegation from the Left parties met him on Saturday, November 23, and submitted a memorandum regarding the Lagacharla incident, according to the Chief Minister’s Office. 

On November 11, several government officials were attacked by residents in Lagacharla when they arrived to conduct a public hearing on land acquisition for a pharma cluster in the region. Vikarabad District Collector Prateek Jain, Additional Collector G Lingya Naik, Kodangal Area Development Authority (KADA) chairman Venkat Reddy, and other officials were present during the visit when residents opposing the acquisition of farmland chased them away, pelting them with stones and vandalising their vehicles. 

Residents have been protesting the proposed pharma cluster due to concerns over unfair compensation, as well as fear of pollution and environmental damage to the agricultural lands if pharmaceutical companies were to be established in the region. 

The Congress government came down heavily on the protesters, arresting several residents, as well as former Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLA from Kodangal, Patnam Narender Reddy. Police have stated that Narender Reddy admitted to inciting the violence as part of an attempt to “destabilise” the government, allegedly under the instructions of BRS leader KT Rama Rao. 

While the police have accused those involved in the attack of attempting to murder the government officials, BRS leaders and local residents have alleged police violence against tribal farmers and women in the village following the incident. 

On November 23, a delegation of Left parties met CM Revanth with a representation on behalf of the residents of four villages where land was to be acquired for the proposed pharma cluster. They said that the farmers had requested the government not to acquire their fertile agricultural lands, and also called for a fair probe into the November 11 incident. 

Following the meeting, CM Revanth stated that a pharma city is not being established in Kodangal. He said that the government is “setting up only an ‘industrial corridor’.” The objective of establishing the industrial corridor is to provide job opportunities to the youth and women in the Kodangal Assembly constituency, he added.

As the MLA of Kodangal, the development of the constituency is his responsibility, CM Revanth said, and asked why he would trouble the people of his own constituency. 

CM Revanth further stated that only “pollution-free industries” would be set up in the region, and also assured that an enhancement of compensation for land acquisition will be considered.