In November 2018, farmers from nine tehsils in Khammam district -- Khammam Urban, Chintakani, Thallada, Konijerla, Wyra, Penuballi, Kallur, Vemsoor and Sattupalli -- protested at the District Collectorate office in Khammam against the proposed Khammam-Devarapalli greenfield national highway project, fearing acquisition of their fertile agricultural land.
The Khammam-Devarapalli greenfield national highway is a pet project of the Telangana government, approved by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) under the Centre's Bharatmala Pariyojana economic corridor development initiative. The project, which was proposed in 2016, aims to reduce the distance between Rajamahendravaram in Andhra Pradesh and Khammam in Telangana from 220 kilometres to 197 kilometres, improving the connectivity between remote areas in the two states. However, the project is likely to affect 2,000 farming households by acquiring 1,996 acres of their agricultural lands.
The demands of the Telangana Farmers' Joint Action Committee offers two alternatives: the government should either upgrade the existing 100-feet Khammam-Aswaraopet state highway into a national highway, which will benefit everyone without affecting agricultural productivity or displacing farmers, or the compensation amount should be increased satisfactorily. In February 2021, the NHAI agreed to reduce the width of the highway from 70 metres to 60 metres, which will potentially save 350 acres of agricultural land. The Centre, too, agreed to increase compensation per acre from Rs 12 Lakh to Rs 25 Lakh.
Yet, the farmers have stayed put in their opposition, fuelled by the mounting insecurity of being evicted from their own lands. The concerned authorities, provisionally directed by the Telangana High Court in February 2021 to not dispossess the petitioners from their lands, have not begun the land acquisition process and are still awaiting environmental clearances.
Citing unjustly low compensation, farmers from seven mandals in the Khammam area opposed to the purchase of almost 1,000 acres for another highway project in March 2022. According to farmer activist Bonthu Ramesh, governments are unfairly establishing low prices, making the project a curse. The Khammam–Devarapalli highway project already encountered opposition, according to advocate K Rajasekhar Reddy, who also pledged that the locals would not permit surveys for the Vijayawada–Nagpur Greenfield Highway.
The Joint Action Committee (JAC), farmers' unions, and political parties stepped up their protests following a forced survey in Raghunadhapalem mandal in August 2023 and previous surveys for the Nagpur–Amaravati Greenfield Highway in Kanumuru and Vandanam villages. Tension arose as police prevented Rythu JAC farmers from accessing the Collectorate after they besieged it and demanded a change in alignment. CPI and CPM leaders claimed that the movement was legal and accused the administration of breaking the law. They emphasised that 90 percent of farmers must agree before land can be purchased.
Revenue Minister Ponguleti Sreenivasa Reddy stated that the 162-kilometre Khammam–Devarapalli road would be a crucial development project for both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh during an inspection of highway construction at Muthagudem in Penuballi mandal on 25 September 2025. He ordered payouts for small, unusable land parcels left over after acquisition, instructed officials to pay an additional 12 percent compensation, and gave farmers assurances that their worries about land acquisition were being taken into account.
Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy examined the state's National Highway projects on 22 September 2025, and instructed officials to expedite compensation payments and land purchase. He gave instructed departments to handle difficulties without impeding development and not to put off work over trivial matters.
Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Demand for more compensation than promised
Complaint against procedural violations
Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Upgrade the state highway into a national highway
Region Classification
Urban and Rural
Type of Land
Private
What was the action taken by the police?
How many people did the police detain or arrest?
What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?
Did the person face any violence while in police custody?
If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?
If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?
Legislation under which the accused was charged
Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?
In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?
Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?
Details of sources (names of accused, names and numbers of any lawyers, names of any police officers contacted)
Status of Project
Project underway despite protests
Original Project Deadline
2023
Whether the Project has been Delayed
No
Significance of Land to Land Owners/Users
Agricultural land
Whether the project was stalled due to land conflict
Source/Reference
Total investment involved (in Crores):
₹
4609
Type of investment:
Cost of Project
Year of Estimation
2016
Has the Conflict Ended?
No
When did it end?
Why did the conflict end?
Categories of Legislations Involved in the Conflict
Land Acquisition Laws, Land Acquisition Laws, Environmental Law
Legislations/Policies Involved
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Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Whether claims/objections were made as per procedure in the relevant statute
What was the claim(s)/objection(s) raised by the community?
What was the Decision of the Concerned Government Department?
Legal Processes and Loopholes Enabling the Conflict:
Controversial land acquisition by the government
Legal Status:
In Court
Status of Case In Court
Pending
Whether any adjudicatory body was approached
Name of the adjudicatory body
Name(s) of the Court(s)
High Court for the State of Telangana
Case Number
Main Reasoning/Decision of court
Major Human Rights Violations Related to the Conflict:
Whether criminal law was used against protestors:
Reported Details of the Violation:
Date of Violation
Location of Violation
Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:
Revenue Department of Telangana, Transport Department, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (overseeing the Bhartmala Pariyojana Programme), National Highways Authority of India
PSUs Involved in the Conflict:
Did LCW Approach Government Authorities for Comments?
No
Name, Designation and Comment of the Government Authorities Approached
Corporate Parties Involved in the Conflict:
Larsen & Toubro
Did LCW Approach Corporate Parties for Comments?
No
Communities/Local Organisations in the Conflict:
Farmers, Telangana Farmers' Joint Action Committee
What was the action taken by the police?
How many people did the police detain or arrest?
What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?
Did the person face any violence while in police custody?
If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?
If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?
Legislation under which the accused was charged
Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?
In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?
Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?
Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?
Shivam is an activist. He writes on issues affecting marginalised communities. He has completed his graduation from the University of Hyderabad and is currently pursuing his Master’s degree in Sociology.
