In the heart of Telangana, about 50 kilometers South of Hyderabad lies the Rangareddy District.  This region is a treasure house of natural environment surrounded by multiple reserve forests, rocky hills, grass lands, scrub lands, chain linked lakes and it is home to a wide range of flora and fauna, including many rare and endangered species like mountain lizards, reptiles, leopards to name a few. Peacocks, herons abound in the farms, as do honey bees and butterflies and a multitude of birds. 

The people in this area are predominantly agriculturists and the entire economy is based on agriculture. The farms merge into forests and forests merge into farmlands in a seamless fashion. And in a good monsoon, the little streams come alive and the lakes are full with fish making fishing another important livelihood.

So it is in this region, the tehsils of Yacharam, Kandukur and Kadthal were identified for setting up the Hyderabad Pharmacity in about 19,333 acres land in 2016 during the rule of K.Chandra Sekhar Rao.  The plan was to establish nearly 1000 pharma manufacturing units, a pharma university, a thermal power plant and a residential area. The environmental clearance for this project was got by silencing local voices and by employing fraudulent methods by the then state government. The Central government too played its part. Multiple representations by local people, scientists and environmentalists were made to the MoEF – ‘not to sanction the EC for this project in this ecologically sensitive area. However, the Govt of India led by Mr. Modi feigned indifference and granted the Environmental Clearance.  

Even before the grant of Environmental Clearance the then government had already taken away a large chunk of farmlands. Majority of the farmers in this area are small farmers. At first they said only the assigned lands will be taken. Assigned lands are lands that were given to the landless in 1970’s for cultivation purpose only and without rights to sell. Without much knowledge about their rights, people agreed and gave up the assigned land. However, they have not been paid proper compensation till date.

Then in 2017 the government started to notify the patta lands or private lands for acquisition. Here there was resistance from farmers and nearly 1000 farmers from four villages of Medipally, Nanaknagar, Tatiparthy, Kurmidda went to the High Court challenging the acquisition. And the Hon’ble High Court gave interim stay orders not to dispossess from the land and not to take any coercive steps. There are final orders in 12 cases suspending the general awards, the declarations and notifications issued for land acquisition. Then there are the cases of landless labourers, where again the High Court gave orders not to take possession of all lands in the village, including the assigned lands and lands where owners gave consent. Thus the entire villages of Medipally, Tatiparthy, Kurmidda are under the stay orders. While this is so, during the earlier govt., in contempt of the Court orders not to do any coercion, the Revenue Divisional Officer, removed the names of the farmers from the online records, replacing them with the name of Telangana State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation.

The farmers had once again approached the court and the Court gave orders to restore the farmers names in online records, to give crop loans and Raitu Bandhu. While this was happening the then Congress leaders – including Revanth Reddy, Bhatti Vikramarka, Seethakka, Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, M. Kodanda Reddy, joined the farmers movement and opposed the Pharmacity Project and called the land acquisition unlawful and unjust. During 2023 elections the Congress leaders promised to cancel the Pharmacity, restore farmers names in online records, give all facilities and even return the assigned and patta lands that were acquired until then. This was even mentioned in their manifesto.

After coming to power, Congress Chief Minister Mr. Revanth Reddy announced that the Pharmacity is Cancelled and in it’s place he shall build a Megacity / Fourth City / Future City etc. But as promised the farmers lands were not returned, online records not corrected and farmers are being pressurized to give up their lands.  So when they were questioned in the High Court that since the Pharmacity is cancelled, the land acquisition is also to be cancelled, the truth came out: The Govt has not suspended the GO 31 of Pharmacity and it shall implement it true to spirit.

However, in public CM Revanth Reddy and all his colleagues say the Pharma City is cancelled and in its place, they shall be establishing a Future City. And for that, not only are they trying to take the  existing land earmarked for Pharmacity, they wish to acquire an additional 30,000 acres of fertile agricultural lands. And with a single stroke by issuing a Governmental GO, local Panchayats in 7 Tehsils and 56 villages, were abolished and were made part of the Future City Development Authority.

So what is to be built in the Future City? An electronics city comprising of Electronic manufacturing units, smart phone companies, an AI City, a skill university, golf courses, animal zoo, sports stadium, race course, high rise complexes, pharmaceutical units as well. In the name of providing “employment to youth”! In a time and age, where AI and excessive mechanization, robotics are displacing people from High End Software jobs, is it possible for local artisans and agriculturists to find work in these High Precision Companies? Experience has shown that in the past decades land losers and local people do not get employment. And even if they do, will these be permanent jobs? Agriculture on the other hand provides work round the year to entire families.

What is at stake? Democracy and rule by the People is at stake! The abolishment of the Panchayats removed the people’s right to self-rule. As per law, land for which environmental clearances were taken for a specific purpose, cannot be diverted for any other purpose. If such a thing has to be done, then due procedures must be followed as per law. That is to prepare a new Environmental Impact Assessment Report, a Detailed Project Report in local language and place them before the public, take public approval, by conducting public hearings, and Gram Sabhas. And then only after referring to the Ministry of Environment and Forests, taking scientific opinion get a New Environmental Clearance and only then take additional land that too with the consent of the people.

That is the democratic way to be followed as per law. As per law, since the Pharmacity is not being set up, the Environmental clearance needs to be suspended and fresh EC must be applied for. However, the Telangana government has done none of this. And without any public discussion or people’s approval, the Future City Development Authority has been established and with a stroke of a pen, 56 villages have lost their right to self-rule, and the people of these villages who are predominantly dependent on agriculture are now being thrown into a “Future” City…without their Consent, without taking their opinion.

What is at stake? From 13,800 acres of still legally disputed farm lands, close to 2,10,000 acres of farm land’s future is at stake…the food security of the state is at stake, this rich biodiverse region, the surrounding reserve forests with their wild life, the lives and livelihoods of nearly 3 lakh people is at stake.

And the government of Telangana led by Mr. Revanth Reddy who vowed to bring People’s Rule is totally ignoring local people’s protests, suppressing their voices and in a complete disregard to the orders passed by the Hon’ble High Court, is fencing off farm lands which the High Court has said Not to take into possession. Heavy police force including the DCP, Additional DGP, ACP, 8 Inspectors, 15 Sub Inspectors and nearly 200 policemen and women landed in the villages of Medipally, Nanaknagar, Tatiparthy and Kurmidda since 03rd April 2025. When people protest that the government officials are violating the law, farmers are being threatened using police force. And even after contempt petitions have been filed against the District Collector, Revenue Divisional officer, the Police officials, work continues unabated, with total disregard to law, to court orders and to public opinion.

Hence, we request the Chief Justice of Telangana to take this matter up Suo Moto and pass necessary Orders to provide relief and justice to the people and protect the biodiverse environment for future generations of Telangana. We also request the Governor of Telangana to take cognizance of this issue and intervene to stop any future projects to safeguard the livelihoods of the people residing in the area and protect the environment. Most importantly, we demand that the rights of the villagers to self-rule be restored by reinstating the Panchayats.

Jai Kisan, Jai Telangana, Jai Hind!

Movement against Pharmacity – Future City,

Yacharam Mandal, Rangareddy District, Telangana

For enquiries – 7995792102