SIDDIPET: Following the announcement of the candidature of MLC and former IAS officer P Venkatram Reddy as the BRS candidate for the Medak Lok Sabha seat, a wave of discontent has swept through the pink party ranks in Siddipet while the oustees of two major projects in the district expressed their anger at him.
During Venkatram Reddy’s tenure as collector of Siddipet district, farmers had accused him of troubling them and acquiring vast swathes of land at below-market prices. Complaints were also made regarding the insufficient compensation provided by the government to affected farmers.
Shortly after Venkatram Reddy’s nomination was made public, videos began circulating on Saturday in WhatsApp groups created by the oustees of Kondapochamma and Mallanna Sagar reservoirs.
One such video shows Venkatram Reddy warning agricultural officials, threatening to revoke the licences of any dealers selling paddy seeds in the district. The video shows him telling officials that even if the dealers were to obtain a court order, they would not be permitted to reopen their shops.
The oustees want to know who would support Venkatram Reddy, given the hardships they endured during his tenure. Other videos shared on social media platforms show oustees of the Kondapochamma reservoir being forced to vacate their villages, while 25 oustees were denied 2BHK houses for seeking legal recourse.