Great land grab: How a Telangana scheme for Madigas was systematically stripped
Hyderabad: The Telangana government's decision to allocate prime land belonging to the Telangana Leather Industry Promotion Corporation (TLIPC) in Gachibowli has sparked outrage among the Madiga community and other Dalit sub-castes who depend on traditional leather work. Protesters accuse the government of diverting land initially allotted for leather parks to other communities, betraying the initiative's purpose.
Madigas outrage over Gachibowli’s TLIPC land allotment
The controversy centres on lands overseen by the Leather Industrial Development Corporation (LIDCAP), now known as the Telangana Leather Industry Promotion Corporation (TLIPC). The Joint Action Committee, comprising the Madiga Intellectuals Forum and the Telangana State Tanners Association, mainly challenges GO 137, issued on August 18, 2025, which leases 3.21 acres to Indian Oil Corporation Limited for a petrol bunk for a period of 33 years. Another order, dated August 12, 2025, allocates 5.16 acres for the Unity Mall. The Unity Mall plan was revised from six to fifty floors, eliminating the space for leather products. “The lease was for 33 years, renewable twice, totalling 99 years. For 25 years, Madigas held these lands. Now, authorities are handing them to others. This is a grave injustice,” said Dr Arepally Rajender former Deputy General Manager(DGM), NTPC, President of Madiga intellectual Forum and Chairman Charmakarula Joint Action Committee(JAC).
Furthermore, Rajender alleged that the Telangana government is systematically stripping away lands intended to uplift the Madiga community and other Dalit sub-castes who rely on traditional leatherwork for their survival.
Back in 2001-2002, the United Andhra Pradesh government launched the LIDCAP scheme under Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu, aiming to empower traditional leather artisans, mainly from the Madiga community, including subcastes such as Mochi and Charmakarulu, with financial independence. More than 5,000 acres across various districts were set aside to create thriving leather parks.
In 1974, officials first set aside 43 acres in Gachibowli for the Nayudamma Leather Industry. Over time, about 2,500 acres across united Andhra Pradesh were earmarked for 12 mega and 42 mini leather parks, all designed to generate employment for the Madiga community.
Despite grand promises, successive governments have failed to deliver on developing the leather industry. The groups noted that the previous IT Minister, KTR, announced three mega and six mini leather parks with a Rs 12,000 crore allocation, whereas the current Congress government discussed establishing two mega parks after meeting with Union Minister of Industries Piyush Goyal. However, neither government has realized these projects. The groups also criticized past land use, noting that 25 acres in Siddipet were taken for a district collectorate without proper compensation.
At the core of the protest is the community’s hope for financial self-reliance. “The main reason for establishing LIDCAP was to ensure that Madigas and Mochis could be financially independent. Now, it is working against them,” added Rajender.
Calls for Revanth Reddy’s intervention and policy reversal
Their main demands centre on reviving LIDCAP by following Andhra Pradesh’s proactive model. They insist that the planned mega leather parks in Karimnagar and Jangaon, spanning 130 acres, be reserved solely for Madiga entrepreneurs. Protestors are also pushing for artisan training and skill centres to help Madigas become business owners, and they urge the government to uphold the Chevella Declaration, which promises to safeguard Dalit lands.
It is pertinent to note that on Friday, Madiga Reservation Porata Samithi (MRPS) leader Manda Krishna Madiga submitted a petition, urging Telangana Information Technology (IT) and Industries Minister Duddila Sridhar Babu to immediately cancel recent government land allotments in Gachibowli, terming these decisions “will cause injustice to the Madigas.” He requested that the Telangana Leather Industry Promotion Corporation (TLIPC) land be used to create jobs for the Madiga community.