A video showing a Telangana revenue official allegedly mocking a farmer who raised a compensation dispute linked to the Regional Ring Road has triggered criticism, while no departmental inquiry had been ordered as of Saturday, according to a report by the Times of India.
The official, Gajwel tahsildar P H Swamy, allegedly asked the farmer, Yesu, whether he had consumed pesticide and whether he was still alive. When the farmer reportedly asked if the tahsildar found his situation amusing, Swamy allegedly replied that he did.
The exchange involved Yesu, a resident of Maktha Masanpally village in Gajwel mandal of Siddipet district. The farmer had approached the tahsildar’s office over compensation for agricultural land being acquired for the Regional Ring Road. The video circulated on social media and led to demands that senior revenue authorities examine the incident and take appropriate action.
Speaking to the Times of India, Swamy said the video was old and provided his account of the events. He said Yesu had repeatedly visited his office seeking the release of compensation, but that the acquisition and payment could not proceed because family members were involved in a dispute over the partition of the land.
Swamy also said the farmer had threatened several times to consume pesticide if the compensation was not credited. According to the tahsildar, Yesu arrived at the office intoxicated on one occasion and created a disturbance. Swamy said he complained to the police, who kept the farmer at the station for a day, warned him and sent him away. No first information report was registered, he said.
The tahsildar said about 15 people were present in his room when he made the remarks and that the farmer had repeatedly made threats to consume pesticide. He maintained that the family later resolved its land dispute, after which the land was acquired and compensation was credited to the family members’ bank accounts.
The dispute illustrates how large infrastructure projects can turn land records, family partition issues and compensation procedures into prolonged administrative conflicts for affected landowners. In such cases, the revenue office is often the point at which residents seek clarification on eligibility, title and payment, making the conduct of frontline officials an important part of the acquisition process.
The Regional Ring Road is a major road project around Hyderabad, and land acquisition requires authorities to establish ownership and resolve competing claims before compensation can be distributed. Swamy’s account indicates that the family dispute was treated as an obstacle to completing the payment process, although the report does not provide details of the underlying land records or the compensation amount.
Siddipet district revenue officer D Nagarajamma told the Times of India that she was not aware of the incident. The report said that, as of Saturday, no inquiry had been ordered into the alleged remarks. The available account does not establish whether any further administrative action will follow or whether the video will be formally examined by the department.
