Telangana’s land acquisition for a proposed bullet train hub near Bahadurguda, close to Shamshabad, has triggered opposition from farmers and landowners after the Centre clarified that it had not asked the State government to acquire land for the project, Telangana Today reported on Saturday.
The dispute concerns land identified for high-speed rail corridors linking Hyderabad with Chennai, Bengaluru and Pune. According to the report, the State government began the acquisition exercise without a formal requisition from the Centre, raising questions among affected landowners about the purpose and status of the proposed acquisition.
The reported project site includes about 400 acres earmarked for a bullet train hub at Bahadurguda. Officials had also attempted to fence approximately 650 acres in Survey Nos. 28 and 62, according to the report. Farmers opposed the move and refused to surrender their land, seeking clear assurances from the government before any acquisition proceeded.
The conflict escalated in July when several farmers were taken into custody by police near Bahadurguda during protests against attempts to fence the land. The affected landowners have argued against being compelled to part with their property when the Central government has reportedly not issued a formal request for acquisition.
The State Cabinet approved a proposal on July 17 under which Telangana would seek either land belonging to the Railways or other Central government organisations within the Outer Ring Road, or financial adjustment against the State’s equity contribution to the bullet train project. The report said the State had sought land or financial assistance from the Centre in lieu of the 400 acres identified for the proposed hub.
The reported disagreement puts the administrative sequence behind the land acquisition under scrutiny. Landowners and other residents are seeking clarity on whether the acquisition is intended for the proposed high-speed rail corridors, a related hub, or another project. The Centre’s reported clarification has added to uncertainty over the authority under which officials began fencing and acquisition-related activity.
The three proposed corridors would connect Hyderabad with Chennai, Bengaluru and Pune, but the report does not provide a confirmed construction schedule, final alignment, approved project cost or details of a formal Central notification. It also does not identify the Central authority that issued the clarification regarding land acquisition.
For residents of Bahadurguda and surrounding areas, the immediate issue remains the status of the land identified in the acquisition exercise and whether further fencing or acquisition activity will proceed. The State government’s next steps, including any response to the Centre’s position and any formal clarification on the project, will determine how the dispute develops.
