Hyderabad University controversy. Forest cleared in the dark of night for Chief Minister dream project.
These days, slogans, screams and the sound of bulldozers are resonating in Hyderabad Central University, built amidst dense trees and lakes. Telangana’s Revanth Reddy government wants to auction about 400 acres of the university’s land for an IT park.
Chief Minister Reddy claims that this IT park will bring an investment of 50 thousand crores and create 5 lakh jobs.
Hyderabad University controversy,
There was a huge scuffle between students and police protesting against the construction of an IT park near Hyderabad University on Sunday. The students were protesting the project due to environmental concerns. A political controversy has erupted after this incident.
KT Rama Rao, the working president of the opposition party Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS), alleged that the police pulled the protesting students by their hair and beat them. The girls’ clothes were torn. Along with this, the students said that they had reached the spot after seeing a bulldozer coming.
In this matter, Telangana CM Revanth Reddy said – the students are being provoked. This land comes under the IT hub of the city. It has no connection with the university. A university official said that the ownership of the land has been with the government since 1974.
Students and teachers are against auctioning the land. They argue that there is a dense forest on this land. Its destruction will have a bad effect not only on the university but also on the environment of the city. This is the reason why police force is deployed in the campus.
On March 30, when more than 40 bulldozers arrived on the campus and started uprooting trees. When the students protested, the administration stopped the bulldozers during the day, but at night the bulldozers again entered the forests.
On Thursday, April 2, around 12 noon, students and teachers once again got agitated. The police lathi-charged them. 50 students were detained, entry was banned in the area and barricades were put up. The main gate of the university was closed and police were deployed in the disputed land area. 50-60 students are sitting on strike near the main gate of the university.
Hyderabad University Controversy,
● 1975 The central government gave about 2,300 acres of land to Hyderabad University
● 2003- An agreement was signed between the state government and Hyderabad University in 2004 regarding land exchange, under which the government got 400 acres of land.
● 2004 Andhra Pradesh government allotted 400 acres of land to IMG Academies and the government gave the university 397 acres of land in Gopanpally.
● 2006 State government canceled the allotment of IMG Academies
● In 2014, Telangana became a new state by separating from Andhra.
● 2022 Land matter went to court, Telangana High Court ruled in favor of the government on ownership rights.
● May 2024 The Supreme Court upheld the High Court’s decision.
● On June 26, 2024, Telangana government allotted this land to Telangana 2024 State Industrial Infrastructure Cooperation i.e. TGIIC
● 30 March Hyderabad University students from 2025 start protesting against clearing of land for IT park.
This land adjacent to Hyderabad University falls in the IT corridor. Its commercial rate is very high. The Telangana government decided to auction it for an IT park. This started a controversy. The students and teachers of the university consider it a threat to the ecological balance and the needs of the university.
Police force was deployed inside and outside the campus since morning. Strong barricades were put up on the road leading to the North Campus, especially towards the forest area. The work of clearing the land is going on in this direction.
University officials say land is not part of university.
an official of Hyderabad University on this issue. Concealing his identity, he says, ‘We are in touch with students and other stakeholders. Trees are not being cut inside the university campus. The 400 acres of land on which the cutting is to be done is adjacent to the campus but is not part of it.
As per the orders of the High Court and the Supreme Court, this land belongs to the Telangana government. The university was not a party to the legal proceedings related to this land.
He said “The university can not directly ask students to stop the protest because India is a democratic country, and everyone has freedom of expression.”
Hyderabad University Controversy:
Petitions were filed in the court to convert the land into a national park. The Telangana High Court ruled in favor of the government in 2022 and the Supreme Court in 2024. After the legal process was completed, on July 1, 2024, the government handed over the land to the Telangana State Industrial Infrastructure Cooperation.
Even after this, two public interest litigations are pending in the Telangana High Court. These have been filed by the ‘Vatavaran Foundation’. It says that this land should be declared a ‘deemed forest’ or a national park. The government says that it is not forest land.
Supreme Court on Hyderabad University Controversy:
The Supreme Court on Thursday banned any kind of activity on the land near Hyderabad University. The court said that the Telangana government should not do any activity other than the protection of trees on the ground.
A bench of Justice BR Gawai and Justice Augustine George Masih described the cutting of trees in the state as very serious. The bench said – the report of the Registrar of Telangana High Court shows a dangerous picture. The report shows that a large number of trees have been cut.
Apart from this, the bench has asked the chief secretary of Telangana for an early reply on cutting trees on the land near the university and starting the work. It has also been asked whether the state has taken an environmental impact assessment certificate for such activities (cutting of trees).
The court also directed the Registrar of Telangana High Court to visit the site and submit a report. The next hearing in the case will be held on April 16.