HYDERABAD: Tension prevailed in Lagcherla in Dudyal mandal in Vikarabad district on Monday, when some persons went on a rampage and attacked Vikarabad Collector Prateek Jain and Kodangal Urban Development Authority (KUDA) Special Officer and Deputy Collector K Venkat Reddy, when they went to hold a public hearing on the proposed pharma unit.
As the public hearing venue was outside the village, some farmers boycotted it with a demand that the programme be held in the village. When the district collector and revenue officials reached the farmers in the village to convince them to attend the meeting, a large number of people who gathered there attacked the cars of the officials. They chased the officials, pelted stones and attacked the officials with sticks. Three cars of the officials were damaged in the melee.
While a woman farmer reportedly tried to slap the collector, the mob beat up Venkat Reddy with fists and sticks, raising slogans against the proposed pharma unit.
Vikarabad Collectorate employees stage ‘pen down’
Protesting against the attack on the collector and his team, the Vikarabad district officials staged a pen down strike in the afternoon.
However, the collector pacified them and clarified that though the farmers were willing to speak to the officials, a group of people came and created trouble. “It is not an attack. Some fellows conspired to create disturbance. I am working today. You too join duties,” the told the officials.
The police registered cases against the villagers for assaulting revenue and police officials and rioting.
