K. Venkata Reddy is a farmer from Kandi village. He has about one-and-a-half acre land near the mandal headquarters. The recent announcement by the Centre that an in-principle green signal was given to Regional Ring Road (RRR) has put him in confusion. He does not know whether he should feel happy or worried about the proposed major road project.
The same is the situation of hundreds of farmers in the district. No one knows what will be their fate a year down the lane. The land rates have already skyrocketed and they are expected to go up further with the announcement and there are many who are interested in investing now and ready to wait.
“Here the open market rate is about ₹ 2 crore per acre if the land parcel is facing the highway. In the interior areas the cost is varying between ₹ 1 crore and ₹ 1.5 crore depending on the accessibility to the road. However, there is no official communication so far regarding land requirement,” said an officer on condition of anonymity.
In the combined Medak district, Sangareddy, Kandi, Narsapur, Shivampet, Nacharam, Gajwel and Jagadevpur were expected to be linked by RRR. Surveys were reported to have been conducted for the mega road project to include Toopran, but now it has been replaced with Masaipet and the realignment has been taken up allegedly to benefit some influential persons.
Residents of Narsapur area are also worried as survey was reported to have been conducted at three places in the past but nothing was finalised. There was an impression among the residents the RRR will pass about 10 kilometres away from the revenue divisional headquarters town but on one was sure.
“The land acquisition programme for canals is on and farmers are on agitation mode and in the recent past they have held protest demonstrations before the government officials. Acquiring land and making paltry payment will make the farmers poorer,” said Bhikshapati, a resident of Narsapur.
