Activists urge Telangana CM to halt land acquisition, seek land use policy and rehabilitation commission
HYDERABAD: Â A group of public policy experts and activists has written to Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, urging immediate intervention on what they termed structural failures in land acquisition, rehabilitation and land use planning in Telangana.
In a representation dated February 23, 2026, led by Dr Donthi Narasimha Reddy, the signatories alleged that land acquisition had accelerated despite thousands displaced over the past 11 years remaining without full compensation or rehabilitation.
The letter refers to an earlier representation dated August 15, 2025 on the Telangana Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2017.
No land use policy, no Assembly oversight
The signatories stated that Telangana lacks a comprehensive, publicly adopted land use policy grounded in ecological, agrarian and social assessment.
They argued that the ‘pure/cure/rare’ zoning framework in Telangana Rising 2047 amounts to classification and not a statutory land use plan. They demanded that no land conversion from agricultural or common use be permitted without prior scientific and social assessment placed in the public domain.
They also alleged that projects involving large-scale land acquisition are being cleared through executive orders without debate in the Telangana Legislative Assembly. Every such project must be placed before the Assembly with details of land requirement, affected communities, compensation framework and environmental consequences before sanction, they said.
DPRs not public, flagship projects flagged
The group claimed that Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for major initiatives, including the Musi Rejuvenation and Gandhi Sarovar projects, have not been placed in the public domain before acquisition proceedings.
They sought immediate publication of DPRs in Telugu and English, including land acquisition maps, social and environmental impact assessments and rehabilitation plans. Until such disclosure and Assembly debate, no further acquisition or demolition should proceed, they said.
The representation also objected to exemptions granted to the Telangana State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (TGIIC) from provisions of the Central LARR Act, 2013 and the TS LARR Act, 2017. The matter is pending before the High Court of Telangana in W.P. (PIL) No. 150 of 2020.
The signatories said TGIIC already holds about 2,50,000 acres across the state and called for an independent audit of its land bank before any fresh acquisition. They also opposed proposed industrial zones in ecologically sensitive areas such as Vikarabad district.
Cumulative impact, rehabilitation before acquisition
The letter highlighted the cumulative impact of piecemeal land acquisition for road widening and new alignments. Families losing land to successive projects should be treated as fully displaced and granted full rehabilitation benefits, it said.
The group further demanded that rehabilitation and resettlement be completed before physical acquisition proceeds, and sought an executive order to make this sequencing unconditional.
They alleged that families displaced by irrigation and infrastructure projects since 2014, including the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme, have not received full compensation or promised benefits.
To address this, they called for the constitution of a State Displaced Persons Rehabilitation Commission with statutory powers to identify families displaced over the past 20 years and ensure payment of pending compensation and entitlements. The commission, they said, should report every six months and table its findings in the Assembly.
The signatories sought an urgent meeting with the Chief Minister and senior officials of the Revenue, Industries and Irrigation departments for time-bound commitments on the demands.
The representation was signed by Dr Donthi Narasimha Reddy and co-signatories A. Mallikarjuna Reddy, M.Y. Reddy, Navya Potla, Ravuri Krishna and Ramesh Ramanadham. Copies were marked to the Speaker of the Telangana Legislative Assembly, the Chief Secretary, senior departmental secretaries, the National Human Rights Commission and the Union minister for rural development.
