Agitated villagers chase govt officials over proposed pharma plant in Vikarabad
1 month ago |

Vikarabad district collector Prateek Jain and other officials had to beat a hasty retreat as agitated crowd chased them shouting slogans  in Lagacharla village of Dudyala mandal in Vikarabad on Monday (November 11, 2024).
| Photo Credit: Screengrab of video posted from @BRSHarish

Tension prevailed in Lagacharla village of Dudyala mandal in Vikarabad on Monday (November 11, 2024) as an agitated crowd, mostly farmers, confronted district officials during a public hearing for a proposed pharma company. Additional police forces were deployed in the village to maintain law and order.

District collector Prateek Jain and Kodangal Area Development Authority Venkat Reddy had planned to meet the locals of the respective villages to gauge the opinion of the farmers who would lose their lands for the proposed pharma company. The officials had to beat a hasty retreat as dozens of agitated villagers including women pelted stones at the vehicles and chased the government officials while shouting slogans. The villagers, who were not ready to give up their land, blocked the path of the officers chanting ‘CM down down’.

“They pelted stones on the vehicles of the officers and assaulted them. We are planning to invoke Section 163 of BNSS (IPC section 144) to control the situation,” said a senior officer from the district.

The villagers have been protesting for several weeks against the proposed pharma company, citing concerns over potential environmental impact and land acquisition issues.