Chevella farmers seek ORCs amid proposed Aloor land acquisition

Hyderabad: Expressing concerns over Telangana Congress government’s move for land acquisition in Aloor village for a proposed data centre, several farmers from Chevella have demanded the immediate issuance of Occupancy Rights Certificates (ORCs) for their lands.

Addressing a press conference here on Tuesday, the farmers alleged that the government was attempting to take over 1,248 acres of farmland they had cultivated for several generations. They claimed the government was using the land’s alleged status as Waqf property as a pretext to acquire it for the proposed data centre.

The High Court had ruled in their favour, directed the State government not to harass them and also issue the ORCs, the farmers alleged, while claiming that the government was trying to acquire land from farmers. They warned the forced acquisition would leave nearly 600 families without a livelihood.

Farmer B Buchaiah said they had been cultivating the Innam lands for six decades and have documents to establish their rights. “The High Court delivered a judgment in favour of the farmers. However, the government obtained a stay order. A survey is being conducted in the presence of police personnel,” he said.

Another farmer, Srinivas, alleged the government was taking away farmers’ land in the name of an industrial corridor and data centres. He said farmers were growing flowers and vegetables for markets in Hyderabad, but officials were claiming that the land was not cultivable.

He demanded the government to issue ORCs and pattas to the farmers as per court orders and refrain from interfering with their lands until the certificates were issued. “We will not give up even an inch of our land. We will continue to fight,” he said.

Chevella MP Konda Vishweshwar Reddy, who extended support to the farmers, said the Congress government had previously sought to acquire land in Rangareddy district and had subsequently lost power. He added that the same could happen if the government attempted to take land from Aloor farmers.