Bulldozers on Bhoodan lands kick up political dust

Nearly 600 houses were razed in a massive demolition drive at a village near Khammam city on February 24, rendering over 1,800 people homeless. While officials say the action was taken to clear unauthorised structures and reclaim land worth over ₹250 crore, the displaced families, many of whom claim to hold pattas issued by the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh Bhoodan Board in 2014, allege they were not given any notice. The demolitions have sparked protests, sharp political reactions and renewed debate over the fate of lands once donated for the landless under the historic Bhoodan movement, writes P. Sridhar