Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court on Monday, April 7, adjourned hearing a petition regarding the 400-acre Kancha Gachibowli land case to April 24.
The bench was dealing with a petition filed by Uday Krishna, founder of Vata Foundation, against a government order stated to be alienating 400 acres of green cover land in the area for setting up IT infrastructure.
The court was also hearing another PIL filed by a retired scientist, Kalapala Babu Rao, seeking similar reliefs, and a plea by the University of Hyderabad Students’ Union claiming that the land belongs to the University.
Initially, the Telangana High Court was supposed to hear the plea on April 3. However, following a request by the advocate general for additional time, the hearing was adjourned till April 7. The previous hearing was a session of arguments on the public interest litigations (PILs) moved by the Vata Foundation and students of the University of Hyderabad, which took place a day earlier. Upon hearing the arguments, the bench had earlier adjourned the case until today, directing a one-day halt for work at the site.
Telangana HC adjourns Kancha Gachibowli land case to April 7
The university had argued that the 400-acre land is part of 2,324 acres allotted to it in 1975. The High Court held that in the absence of such a deed, the government retained ownership of the land. Last year, the Supreme Court upheld the order of the High Court.
However, according to the Telangana State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (TGIIC), the 400 acres of land were given to IMG Academies Bharatha Ltd for development by the earlier joint Andhra Pradesh government in 2003. The state eventually sought it back as it was not being utilised and had gone to court on the issue. TGIIC also said that instead of this 400-acre land parcel, the state had given the University of Hyderabad 397 acres, dated February 3, 2004.
The matter is one of suspected encroachments and use of land use issues at the 400-acre Kancha Gachibowli land that has evoked legal opposition from the environmental group as well as students’ associations.
On the other hand, the Supreme Court has also ordered a halt to deforestation in the forest land, as a hearing over it is also underway.
