Telangana villagers say no to industries

The new government in Telangana is faced with a peculiar problem. People in interior villages are unwilling to part with their land for industries. And even if an industry is sanctioned on government land, villagers do not want it citing the resultant pollution of air and water. Despite senior officials holding several contact programmes in the rural areas to convince people that industries will generate employment and boost the local economy, villagers are unconvinced.

The latest protests came from people living in Thalakondapally mandal of Mahbubnagar district. Recently, Mahbubnagar district joint collector L Sharman, along with local tehsildar Anita, went to Thalakondapally for site inspection for a pharma factory. However, a group of about 1,000 villagers stopped the revenue team on the village outskirts, forcing them to return without inspecting the site. Interestingly, the local legislator, along with some sarpanches participated, in the agitation.

Similar protests were witnessed last month at Akuthotapally village of Amangal mandal when a revenue team tried to hold a public hearing for a proposed bulk drug unit. Protesters in Pollepally village of Jadcherla mandal even attempted to attack officials. People, whose lands were acquired for Pollepally Special Economic Zone, alleged that the government had paid paltry sum for their lands. Some of them have turned into migrant workers after their lands were acquired.

There have also been instances where officials and industry representatives were chased away by angry villagers in Nalgonda and Mahbubnagar districts. In Nalgonda, villagers, particularly tribals, are against even government projects.

Sources pointed out that in many cases, local politicians are instigating villagers to protest against setting up of industries in villages. The politicians, it is alleged, have their own agenda behind the protests. However, villagers disagree. "The protests are spontaneous. It is wrong to say they are organized. People do not want industries that cause pollution of air and ground water," said Y Jangaiah, a villager of Akuthotapally.

Villagers are also irked that most of the promises made by the government and industry representatives are not kept. For instance, a company which came up at Penjeral village did not recruit locals in large numbers as promised. "Why should the locals bear the trouble of pollution when they are not assured of jobs or other economic benefits," wondered Kadempally Srinivas, former sarpanch of Kothur.

Recently, a group of villagers submitted a memorandum to chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao during his visit to Mahbubnagar recently, urging him to ensure that companies setting up units in villages give 80 per cent of the jobs to locals.

http://ift.tt/Yy2j0u villagers,Pollepally Special Economic Zone,K Chandrasekhar Rao

Stay updated on the go with The Times of India’s mobile apps. Click here to download it for your device.