Villagers along Maharashtra-Telangana border boycott SIR, demand land row fix

The ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls faced resistance in several villages along the Telangana–Maharashtra border after residents refused to participate in the enumeration exercise, demanding resolution of a long-pending land dispute before extending cooperation.

The boycott was reported from villages in the Kerameri area of Telangana’s Komaram Bheem Asifabad district, where residents said they would not accept SIR enumeration forms until authorities addressed their land-related grievances.

Villagers demanded that the district collectors from Telangana and Maharashtra jointly visit the affected areas and provide a concrete solution to the dispute.

The response to the SIR exercise remained divided across the border villages. While residents in Anthapur and Bholapatar panchayats accepted the enumeration forms, voters in Parandholi, Kota, Lendiguda, Shankarloddi, Parandholi Thanda, Mukadanguda and Maharajguda villages under Parandholi and Mukadanguda gram panchayats refused to take part in the exercise.

Despite repeated attempts by Booth Level Officers (BLOs) and supervisory officials to persuade them, villagers remained firm and declined to cooperate.

Residents alleged that authorities have failed to resolve land disputes affecting nearly 15 villages situated along the interstate border. According to them, nearly 75 per cent of the population in these villages belongs to the Scheduled Caste (SC) community and has been directly impacted by the unresolved issue.

Villagers said they had been cultivating the disputed lands for years and had even availed agricultural loans from banks until 2014. However, they alleged that no government has issued pahanis, or land ownership records, for these lands since then, leaving cultivators in uncertainty.

They further claimed that Forest Department officials have begun treating the disputed land as a Reserved Forest area and are restricting agricultural activity. According to residents, officials have informed them that plantation activities would be taken up in these areas, increasing fears of losing access to land they have cultivated for years.

Maintaining that the issue has remained unresolved despite repeated representations, villagers said they would continue to boycott the SIR enumeration process until the administration intervenes and provides a lasting solution to their land dispute.