Hyderabad: Even as students are up in arms against the state government’s decision to take control and auction 400 acres of land that belonged to University of Hyderabad (UoH), a small but crucial technicality might in fact allow the Telangana government to have its way and take over the land parcel. The fact of the matter is that the land UoH functions on also to this day belongs to the state. That has been the case since it was founded, as the land was never formally transferred to the varsity.
University of Hyderabad (UoH) officials told Siasat.com that the administration cannot do much in spite of the ongoing protests against the state government as the 400 acres were legally given to the state government two decades go. “It is very clear that the court has given the land to the state. About 20 years ago around 2003-4, some 600 acres of Uoh land was taken to build the Gachibowli stadium and other things in the vicinity apart from this as well,” informed an official.
According go the Telangana State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (TGIIC), the 400 acres of land was 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 in lieu of this 400 acre land parcel, the state had given the University of Hyderabad 397 acres, dated on February 3, 2004.
The TGIIC said that legally University of Hyderabad has no claims on this 400 acres as it was given 397 acres elsewhere in exchange. Moreover, the fact of the matter is that the land on which the campus stands also still does not belong to the varsity itself.
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“We are also trying to talk to the Telangana government so that we can at least conserve the biodiversity. There was no permission given for the JCBs or the police to enter. We want the state government to reconsider it due to environmental issues are taken care of. We also want to tell them to hand over the land to us. The admin has been writing many letters to mutate the land to the university’s name but it has not been done,” stated a University of Hyderabad official who did not want to be named.
A day earlier on March 31, disturbing visuals had emerged from the University of Hyderabad campus wherein the police could be seen detaining over 100 students who were protesting against JCBs that had been brought in to clear the 400 acres of land. Moreover, though there is biodiversity, animals and ancient rock formations, the land has not been designated as forest area.
This is also the basis on which TGIIC says that the 400 acres have never been classified as such. The corporation also said that the state Forest department is filing a PIL in the High Court stating that it is not a forest land.
It may be noted that Telangana deputy minster Bhatti Vikramarka and industries minister D Sridhar Babu are both from UoH. In a press conference on Tuesday, they said that they will process the land in which UoH stands to be mutated on the varsity’s name if they receive a representation. Bhatti also added that they are considering withdrawing the cases booked against students who were protesting.
