Hyderabad: Violence broke out between the evacuees of the Charlagudem project in Nalgonda district and police over the alleged illegal detention of a farmer from the village. Nampally circle inspector A. Balanagi Reddy sustained an injury to the head, and a few villagers were injured after police resorted to a lathicharge to disperse them.

The Charlagudem project is a part of the Dindi lift irrigation scheme and is being constructed near Sivannagudem in Marriguda mandal in the district. A few villages surrounding Sivannagudem will be losing their land to the project. The government had earlier decided to pay Rs 4.15 lakh per acre as compensation, but the villagers demanded to Rs 5.15 lakh. Some the villagers demanded `10 lakh and a government job for one member from each affected family.



When there was no response to the demands, the evacuee villagers started a protest. Police have been trying to pacify them for about a week.

On Sunday, police illegally detained a farmer, Mr Sishupal Reddy, which triggered a project site. Land owners tried to block the ongoing work. The police intervened and clashes broke out, leading to the lathicharge. Aged protesters and women were dragged away by the cops. Circle inspector Balanagi Reddy was hit by a stone.

Senior police officials at the spot said that there was no use of force against the protestors and the personnel only tried to disperse them in a peaceful manner.