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Days after the Congress-led government in Telangana razed around 700 houses in Velugumatla, a village near Khammam city, the Organisation for the Protection of Democratic Rights (OPDR) and the victims condemned the move at a press conference.
The press conference held in Hyderabad’s Somajiguda press club on March 6 highlighted the number of police officials, municipal staff and bulldozers employed to carry out demolitions in Vinoba colony in Velugumatla village. The demolitions took place on February 24.
The colony was built on land distributed under the Bhoodan and Gramdan Act. The state government claims that the land has been encroached upon.
The Bhoodan and Gramdan Act was passed by the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh state government in 1965 and subsequently adopted by Telangana after bifurcation.
Under the Act, a parcel of land is given as a gift or bhoodan in keeping with the 1951 Bhoodan Movement initiated by freedom fighter Vinoba Bhave. The Act enables the legal transfer of donated land to a Bhoodan Board for redistribution to landless, poor farmers.
“When a few women and I tried to resist the demolition, a woman police constable assured us that only the sheds were being razed. Not our houses. We sought permission to gather our things but we were pushed away,” said Nagamani, a resident of Vinoba colony said at the press meet.
She added that cases had been registered against several of her neighbours.
She pointed out that Vinoba colony is ironically only a few kilometres away from the Collectorate. “A Collectorate that was constructed and painted by people from our colony.”
Jayamma, another resident, said that they’ve been shifted to the Ambedkar Bhavan in Khammam city. “There are only two bathrooms for all of us. To add to this, at least 10 people have been arrested for resisting the demolition,” she said. Approximately 2000 residents are now at Ambedkar Bhavan.
Akhtarunnissa, also a resident, alleged that the demolition was a political conspiracy by Telangana’s Minister for Agriculture Tummala Nageshwar Rao, and his supporter, Koteshwar Rao. “Cases were registered against our people even as we were trying to meet Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Rao at the Collectorate after the demolition,” she added.
Jatin Kumar, OPDR Telangana president, said, “Since the bifurcation in 2014, both the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and Congress governments have tried to snatch Bhoodan lands. Residents have resisted this repeatedly. They met successive collectors at least 30 times.”
Jatin also added that there are four separate high court orders that protect Bhoodan lands, direct the Telangana government to provide amenities to residents, and refuse permission to demolish Vinoba colony.
Telugu journalist Raghu spoke about how while the colony was razed, several houses nearby were left standing. “If the land was illegally encroached upon as the Congress government claims, how are there landholders right around the colony?”
Raghu added, “Three Cabinet ministers, including Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka, are from Khammam. There needs to be a clear answer regarding the demolition.”
The OPDR demanded that the state government rebuild demolished homes in Vinoba colony and provide dignified temporary accommodations to the victims in the meantime. They also demanded that all arrested residents be released and the charges dropped.