Hyderabad: The Telangana IAS Officers Association has strongly condemned the recent alleged attack on Vikarabad district collector Prateek Jain in Kodangal amid protests against land acquisitions for the government’s Pharma City project.
The incident occurred on November 11 during a Gram Sabha held in Lagcherla village, Dudyala mandal for land acquisition related to establishing the Pharma City and industry in Telangana. The meeting turned violent when villagers allegedly attacked the officials, sparking widespread unrest.
In an official statement, Telangana IAS Officers Association president Shashank Goel and Secretary Jayesh Ranjan assured that such violence would not hinder government officials from fulfilling their duties.
The clash reportedly involved sticks and stones as villagers targeted district collector Prateek Jain, additional collector Lingyanayak, sub-collector Umashankar Prasad, and Kodangal area development authority (KADA) special officer Venkat Reddy.
Telangana IAS officers further stated, “The government is taking strong action in the matter. Such acts cannot undermine the resolve of officials to carry out their responsibilities.”
Following the incident, former BRS MLA Patnam Narender Reddy was taken into custody as one of the assailants identified as Suresh was linked to him.
Police have arrested 16 individuals and remanded them to judicial custody after questioning 55 suspects.
Before the Telangana IAS officers’ statement, BRS working president KT Rama Rao (KTR) criticized the detention of Reddy, accusing the Congress-led state government of conspiring to frame the BRS. He claimed the government was undemocratically suppressing the protest in Lagcherla village, Vikarabad.
The former IT minister said that Patnam Narender Reddy was being threatened with illegal arrest for voicing the people’s concerns. He said that the BRS has seen detentions in the past and is used to such tactics since the launch of the Telangana movement.
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