HYDERABAD: The Central Empowered Committee (CEC) constituted by the Supreme Court on Kancha Gachibowli lands held discussions with the students of the University of Hyderabad, politicians and officials here on Thursday.
The students gave their views on the 400 acres of land, which the state government proposes to auction for generating revenue. They also gave their version of the recent controversy on the alleged use of AI-generated videos against the auction of the lands. The CEC, headed by Siddhant Das and members CP Goyal, Sunil Limaye and JR Bhatt, also interacted with politicians.
It may be mentioned that the Supreme Court took suo motu cognisance of the 400-acre land issue. As the officials denied permission to students to meet the CEC inside the university, the students met the committee outside the campus.
UoH Students Union president A Umesh Ambedkar, vice-president Akash Kumar and general secretary Nihad Sulaiman met the CEC. BJP leaders Eatala Rajender and others met the CEC. They explained to the panel that the government allocated 2,324 acres of land to UoH.
Later it allocated portions of land to various other agencies, they pointed out. Now, 2,185 acres of land remains with the university and the same should be protected, the BJP leaders told the CEC.
Meanwhile, a delegation led by BRS leader and former minister T Harish Rao submitted an 11-page representation along with 200 pages of documentary evidence to the Central Empowered Committee. Later speaking to reporters, Harish
Rao recalled that as per the Forest Act, permission is required to fell trees, even if the area was not declared as a notified forest. The former minister stated that the Godavarman judgment (1980) protects lands with forest-like characteristics, even if they are not officially declared a forest.
The former minister elaborated on the WALTA rules, which require a formal application, a deposit of `450 and planting of two saplings for every tree cut.
“However, in Kancha Gachibowli, there were no applications, no permissions, no compliance, there was only destruction,” Harish Rao alleged.