Hyderabad: The Telangana high court on Thursday directed the state and central govts as well as the University of Hyderabad (UoH) to convey their stand on the contention of the students’ union that 400 acres in Kancha Gachibowli, which the govt proposes to auction to construct an IT hub, is part of varsity’s land and also inside its compound wall. The HC gave the authorities time till April 7 to respond.
A bench of Acting Chief Justice Sujoy Paul and Justice Renuka Yara was hearing a PIL filed by UoH union president Arepalle Umesh Chand Ambedkar and environmental activist Edla Aruna Jyothi urging the court to summon the records and examine UoH ownership. They said the land in question is part of the 2,300 acres allotted for the university in 1975. Their counsels, Chintapanti Aditya and Mohd Anwar Ali, said this aspect needed to be examined by the court.
The students also accused the police of committing several atrocities against students on the campus for raising their voice against the state’s proposed IT project.
Senior counsel S Niranjan Reddy, representing Vata foundation, another petitioner, said a student was detained in Rajendranagar police station when he was recording the work at the site.
“I have evidence to show the state did not stop its destruction even after the court asked it to halt work,” he said, adding that as the Supreme Court has already stayed the whole process, the HC may direct the state and other authorities to file their counters now.
Appearing for the Centre, deputy solicitor general Gadi Praveen Kumar informed the court that the central govt has written to the state forest wing to explain the status of the land.
“Till the Centre is briefed about the status, the development process may be stalled,” he said.
Arguing for the state govt, senior counsel Abhishek Manu Singhvi pointed out that no one claimed the 400 acres as forest land when the then state govt in 2003 allotted it to IMG Bharata academy.
“Now, when the state is developing an IT hub that would bring in Rs 50,000 crore as investment and provide 5 lakh jobs, everyone is trying to stall the project,” he said.
The bench directed the authorities to file their counters and posted the case to April 7.