BJP alleges forced land acquisition in Koheda, demands compensation for farmers

The Telangana BJP has accused the Revanth Reddy government of 'forcibly’ acquiring land from farmers for the proposed International Integrated Fruit Market in Koheda, despite ongoing protests and without compensating those displaced. A foundation stone was laid even as affected farmers raised objections, it said. Addressing a press conference at the party’s State office on Sunday, BJP president N. Ramchander Rao demanded that the government first compensate the affected farmers before proceeding with any construction work on the project. Mr. Rao criticised the Congress government’s approach, comparing it to the rule of the erstwhile Nizam and accusing it of showing little empathy towards farmers. He also took exception to the Chief Minister’s recent criticism of Union Ministers G. Kishan Reddy and Bandi Sanjay Kumar over paddy procurement. “It is the State government that has failed to procure grain from farmers on time. It has become a ‘corrupt commissions government’,” he alleged. Rejecting allegations against the Centre made by the Chief Minister, Mr. Rao claimed the Modi government had extended ₹13 lakh crore in assistance to Telangana over the last 12 years for infrastructure projects, including highways and railways. He added that ongoing works would soon connect all 32 districts to the national highway network. In a separate press meet, BJP Yuva Morcha (BJYM) State president Kunde Ganesh raised concerns over steep fee hikes by private educational institutions, ranging from 10% to 50%, imposing a heavy financial burden on parents. Mr. Ganesh called for immediate action against illegal charges collected under various heads such as donations, admission fees, uniforms and books. He demanded that fee hikes be capped at 8% and that the 25% free-seat provision under the Right to Education Act be strictly implemented from the current academic year. He also criticised the education department for its “passive and shameful” inaction. Meanwhile, official spokesperson N.V. Subash stated that Mr. Reddy’s comments at ‘The Hindu Huddle conclave in Bengaluru, where he criticised the Centre over women’s reservation and the proposed delimitation exercise, were “misleading, ill-informed and dangerous.” Questing the Chief Minister’s attempt to portray delimitation as a North-versus-South issue, he said, “It is unfortunate that Mr. Revanth Reddy is deliberately stoking regional sentiments and attempting to pit one part of India against another. Such divisive politics may suit the Congress party, which has historically thrived on creating fault lines based on caste, region and religion, but it is detrimental to national unity”.