KTR urges govt. to withdraw plans to sell Kancha Gachibowli land

K.T. Rama Rao urges public to save Kancha Gachibowli land from auction, protect University of Hyderabad's future.

HYDERABAD

Working president of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi K.T. Rama Rao has appealed to the people of the State, students of University of Hyderabad (UoH) and environment lovers to join hands to protect the Kancha Gachibowli land and the future of UoH.

In an open letter addressed to them on Sunday, he said there were about 734 plant species, 220 bird varieties, 7 types of reptiles and 10 species of mammals. But, the government plans to auction the 400 acres of land to meet its financial needs would destroy them all. He alleged that the government had unveiled a new conspiracy to shift the UoH to another location in the name of Eco Park as the students were getting calls from unknown persons that the university would be shifted to the Fourth City area if they failed to stop the protests against the government’s move on the 400 acres land.

Mr. Rama Rao demanded that the government cancel the plans to sell the 400 acres land following the spirit of the Supreme Court observations and protect the UoH.

Meanwhile, the UoH Students’ Joint Action Committee has demanded that the State government hand over the 400-acre Kancha Gachibowli land being planned to be auctioned by it to the Central university.

A meeting of the UoH Students’ JAC, Osmania University Students’ JAC, All India BC Students’ Union and All India BC Welfare Association was held here on Sunday. Speaking at the meeting, Rajya Sabha member and president of the BC Welfare Association R. Krishnaiah said 2,300 acres of land was allotted to UoH in 1975 by the State government (combined Andhra Pradesh) but the entire extent was never transferred to the university.

As the entire land was not transferred to the university its infrastructure could not be expanded, including establishing of new research facilities and new hostels. It was for the Telangana government to now transfer the entire allotted land including the 400 acres. He also demanded that the cases registered against UoH students, who had been fighting to protect the land, be lifted.