Tension prevailed during Telangana Industries Minister KT Rama Rao's visit to Zaheerabad in Sangareddy district on Wednesday, June 22, as the farmers staged a protest demanding fair compensation for the lands acquired for National Investment and Manufacturing Zones (NIMZ). Police used force to control the protestors and resorted to lathi-charge ahead of KTR’s visit to lay the foundation stone for a defence unit. As the protestors tried to proceed toward the venue, police carried out a baton charge to disperse them. A few farmers were injured in the incident.
Police had closed the roads leading to Zaheerabad from various villages in Jharasangam and Nyalkal mandals to prevent local residents from staging any protest during the programme. The state government is developing the NIMZ over 12,635 acres and on Wednesday, KTR laid the foundation stone for VEM Technologies' defence manufacturing unit which is coming up on 511 acres.
Speaking at the event, he asked the district authorities and public representatives to ensure that those losing lands to NIMZ are adequately compensated. The minister also wanted the district administration and the industry to make sure the farmer families whose lands are acquired get employment in NIMZ. "Every family losing land to NIMZ should get employment in NIMZ, then they will cooperate. The industry also has to work with us. They are losing gold-like land and this will naturally cause pain but if they are assured their future generation will get jobs in NIMZ, they will come forward (to give lands)," he said.
KTR urged VEM Technologies to give preference to locals in employment in semi-skilled and unskilled categories. The minister welcomed a proposal by VEM Technologies to set up a skill centre for local residents to train them for jobs in their unit. The company will bear 50% of the cost for the proposed centre.
We condemn the police lathicharge on poor farmers who are losing their lands in #NIMZ Project in Zaheerabad at the behest of @KTRTRS . It’s time to raise our voice against the atrocities of @trspartyonline on the people of Telangana. అన్నదాతల ఉసురు తగులుతది మీకు. pic.twitter.com/Pk5RMqYe44
— Dr.RS Praveen Kumar (@RSPraveenSwaero) June 22, 2022