HYDERABAD: The state government on Tuesday strongly refuted allegations that it has encroached upon land belonging to the University of Hyderabad.
Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and IT Minister D Sridhar Babu made it clear that the government has not taken an inch of land belonging to UoH.
“The 400 acres in Survey No. 25 of Kancha Gachibowli belong to the government,” they reiterated, adding that the government had secured the land after winning a legal battle against a private firm.
In response to protests from various quarters and claims by UoH authorities and students that the land belongs to the university, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy convened a meeting at the Integrated Command and Control Centre on Tuesday. Sources indicated that the CM provided a factual briefing on the land and shared the details with the ministers.
Speaking to reporters, Sridhar Babu accused the opposition of spreading misinformation. “This land was under litigation for over two decades. In 2024, the courts ruled in favour of the government. We have not taken a single inch of university land. Political groups and affiliated associations are misleading the public and obstructing government initiatives,” he stated.
He further revealed that a week ago, the government consulted UoH’s vice-chancellor regarding land demarcation. “We informed university authorities that no official records exist proving their ownership of the land. We decided to resolve this issue and informed the university,” Sridhar reiterated.
Centre never requested legal recognition for land: Sridhar
The IT minister also noted that in 2016, a committee led by a senior IAS officer recommended granting legal status to 1,500 acres of UoH land. “Keeping these recommendations in mind, we urged the university authorities to discuss the matter in the Executive Council and present their stance,” he added.
He emphasised that the chief minister and revenue minister are committed to granting legal rights to the university’s lands.
He said: “UoH is a Central university, yet the Centre has never approached us to request legal recognition for 1,500 or 1,600 acres. We came forward to give legal status to UoH lands by land demarcation.”
The minister criticised the opposition for attempting to derail development efforts through false propaganda and urged students and university authorities not to be swayed by political parties.
Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka asserted that the Congress government has safeguarded the land, preventing it from falling into private hands.
“In 2004, the then TDP government transferred 400 acres from UoH to IMG Bharata company in exchange for 397 acres at Gopanpally. There are official documents confirming this land swap. In 2006, the then Congress government cancelled the allotment, leading to a legal dispute. The case remained in litigation until the government won the battle, securing land worth thousands of crores,” Vikramarka said.
Following the legal victory, the Revenue department recently transferred the land to the Telangana Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (TGIIC).