Telangana govt didn’t take an inch of UoH’s land, assert ministers
Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka asserted that the land was always government property and had been brought back under public ownership
Hyderabad: Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, revenue minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy, and IT minister D. Sridhar Babu vehemently defended the government's decision on the 400-acre land in Survey No 25 at Kancha Gachibowli, and claimed that the government had not taken any land belonging to the University of Hyderabad (UoH).
In a joint press conference held at Secretariat on Tuesday, Bhatti said that the 400 acres, which had been in the possession of a private firm for more than two decades, were reclaimed after a ruling by the Supreme Court. He asserted that the land was always government property and had been brought back under public ownership.
The Deputy Chief Minister condemned the BRS and BJP for spreading misinformation for political gains, specifically targeting UoH students. He said that such political tactics are detrimental to the state's development.
"Under the leadership of Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, our government has reclaimed the land from private hands and restored it for the benefit of the people of Telangana," Bhatti stated. "This land was left vulnerable under the previous BRS government for 10 years and is now being secured for the public."
Srinivas Reddy said that the Congress, during the tenure of Indira Gandhi, had established the University of Hyderabad and allocated land to it.
"The university never had legal ownership rights over land in Gachibowli, although it was set up in 1974," he explained. "The Congress government has now taken steps to grant land ownership rights to UoH, fulfilling our commitment to its development."
Sudhakar Reddy criticised the former BRS government for neglecting the land’s reclamation. "If the previous government had acted earlier, this 400-acre plot would not have remained in private hands," he said.
IT minister Sridhar Babu said false information regarding environmental concerns were being circulated on social media platforms, specifically allegations that development of Kancha Gachibowli lands would harm natural rock formations and water bodies. "These claims are completely false," Sridhar Babu said. "Our actions are in line with legal procedures and we are committed to protecting the environment."
The ministers called for unity and support from the public and academic community. They urged students, faculty, and environmentalists not to be swayed by misleading narratives. The Congress government, they stressed, is focused solely on the public interest and employment generation through the development of this land.
