Border Villagers Boycott SIR Over Long-Standing Land Dispute in Telangana-Maharashtra

Residents from a collection of disputed villages situated along the border of Telangana and Maharashtra have launched a protest by boycotting the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. This decision highlights a growing frustration among the local population regarding a long-standing land ownership dispute that remains unresolved by the respective state administrations. The primary demand of the villagers is for a definitive resolution that clarifies jurisdiction and ensures their rights to the land they have been farming for years.

The current impasse centers on 15 specific villages located in the Kerameri mandal of Komaram Bheem Asifabad district in Telangana. These same areas are simultaneously claimed by Maharashtra as part of the Jiwati taluq within the Chandrapur district. Because both state governments assert sovereign jurisdiction over these territories, the residents are caught in a legal and administrative limbo, lacking clear recognition and property rights.

Villagers Demand Land Rights Resolution

Local community members are calling for an immediate, high-level intervention. They have requested that the District Collectors and Tahsildars from both Telangana and Maharashtra personally visit the affected region to address their grievances. The villagers are specifically seeking the official issuance of land deeds, or pattas, which would provide legal security for the plots they have cultivated over multiple generations.

The boycott of the Special Intensive Revision, or SIR, serves as a direct message to the state authorities. Despite proactive efforts by Booth Level Officers (BLOs) to distribute enumeration documentation in the Anthapur and Bholapatar gram panchayats, the campaign met with significant resistance. Residents across several villages—including Parandholi, Kota, Lendiguda, Parandholi Tanda, Mukaddamguda, and Maharajguda—firmly declined to accept the forms. This collective refusal underscores the villagers' commitment to forcing a formal dialogue regarding their long-term land stability.

As the situation continues to unfold, the lack of a clear administrative resolution remains a significant barrier for the inhabitants of these border territories. Without a cooperative approach from the involved state governments, the residents indicate that they will continue to press for the recognition of their land rights. The core of the matter remains the urgent need for a diplomatic agreement that settles the overlapping claims and provides the necessary legal documentation to the families living in these disputed border zones.