After the severe backlash from tribal farmers and villagers over the establishment of a pharma village in his constituency Kodangal, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy did a volte-face and claimed that it was not a pharma village, but an industrial corridor that was being proposed to be established in the constituency.
He has clarified that the proposed Pharma City will not be established in Kodangal. Instead, he said that the government is focusing on creating an ‘Industrial Corridor’ aimed at providing job opportunities to the youth and women in the Kodangal assembly constituency.
The chief minister further assured that only pollution-free industries would be set up within the industrial corridor, addressing environmental concerns. He also stated that the government would consider enhancing compensation for land acquisition in the area.
A delegation of Left parties met the Chief Minister on Saturday. The delegation had visited Rotibanda thanda and Lagacherla on Thursday and discussed the objections raised by farmers and villagers with the Chief Minister. They also submitted a representation to him in this regard.
Responding to them, the Chief Minister said the objective was to provide employment to women and youth. The proposed industrial units would be pollution-free, he claimed.
“Ensuring my constituency Kodangal’s development is my responsibility. Why will I subject my constituency people to any inconvenience?” he asked, also saying that he would examine the Left party leaders’ appeal to enhance compensation for land acquisition.
In 2023, the Telangana High Court annulled the notification for the acquisition of farmers’ lands intended for the proposed Pharma City. Despite this ruling, the farmers reported that authorities were not updating their land details in the revenue records, which hindered their access to agricultural inputs, credit support, and full ownership rights.
The petitioners expressed their concerns about being deprived of these essential resources.The Hyderabad Pharma City was envisioned as a significant pharmaceutical industrial park, covering 19,333 acres across the Kandukur, Yacharam, and Kadthal mandals of Rangareddy district
The project was expected to attract substantial investment, estimated at USD 9.7 billion, and create approximately 560,000 jobs. However, it has faced considerable opposition from local farmers and environmental activists, who are concerned about the potential impact on the surrounding ecosystem, which has already been affected by existing pharmaceutical factories in Hyderabad.
