Telangana govt explains why State owns Kancha Gachibowli land, not HCU; university campus safe, says Bhatti

Hyderabad: Amid stiff resistance from the students and the Opposition parties, the Telangana State government has reiterated that it has not touched ‘an inch of the land’ belonging to the Hyderabad Central University (HCU) in Kancha Gachibowli.

The State government has also made it clear that the 400 acres in Survey No. 25 in Kancha Gachibowli do not belong to HCU. The government further said that it had successfully fought in court and brought back State wealth from the hands of a private individual as property of the people.

Govt considering to withdrawal of cases against HCU students

Apart from the State government even assured to address the concerns of University of Hyderabad (UOH) students and environmentalists and said that a representation given by the delegation for withdrawing cases against the jailed HCU students was also being considered.

In response to the escalating situation, chief minister A Revanth Reddy convened a meeting with his Cabinet colleagues Bhatti Vikramarka Mallu, D Sridhar Babu, N Uttam Kumar Reddy and Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy to discuss the ongoing issue concerning the HCU land at the Integrated Command Control Centre (ICCC), Banjara Hills, on Tuesday.

HCU was given land in Gopanpally

Disclosing the details before the media at Dr BR Telangana State Secretariat here, deputy CM Bhatti Vikramarka said that the 534.28 acres allotted to the HCU was handed over to revenue officials on February 3, 2004. In return, 191.36 acres in Survey No. 36 and 205.20 acres in Survey No. 37 of Gopanpally village were transferred to the HCU.

After the land transfer, the then TDP government allotted 400 acres in Survey No. 25 in Kancha Gachibowli to a sports management company called IMG Bharat of IMG Florida, represented by Billy Rao. After Dr YS Rajasekhar Reddy became the chief minister, the allocation of 400 acres worth crores to IMG Bharat was cancelled against public welfare, as the government did not undertake any activities on that land as per the agreement, he said.

Bhatti criticises previous CMs for not caring about the 400 acres

Elaborating, Bhatti said that IMG Bharat had filed a writ petition in the High Court under WP NO 24781, challenging the decision taken by then chief minister. Then, the next chief ministers of the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh, Dr YS Rajasekhar Reddy, Rosaiah and Kiran Kumar Reddy, appointed prominent advocates and presented the arguments on behalf of the government on the writ petition filed by IMG Bharat.

The deputy chief minister criticised the previous rulers—who came to power in the State of Telangana, which had fought for decades for its resources, property rights and self-respect—for not caring about bringing this land, which was in the hands of private individuals, to the government, and instead leaving it to chance.

“If this land, worth crores of rupees, remained in the hands of a private individual, then the previous rulers did not fight hard in court with a conspiracy to bring it into their hands,” he said.

The entire council of ministers, including chief minister A Revanth Reddy, who considered the 400 acres in the hands of a private individual, decided to give this land to the people as a wealth-generating asset, the deputy CM said.

“This is a victory for the people as they have brought land worth thousands of crores to the State by hiring good lawyers and fighting in court,” he said.

Bhatti slams misinformation on land issue

Bhatti also launched a scathing attack on the Opposition parties for spreading misinformation about the Kancha Gachibowli land issue for political benefits.

The BRS party, which ruled the State for a decade, has not made any efforts to take back government land that was in the hands of private individuals, he alleged.

“Instead of commending the efforts of the State government for protecting valuable government lands from private individuals, the Opposition parties are spreading misinformation that it is trying to snatch lands from HCU and sell them by setting up ventures and plots there,” he said.

‘Land will be an asset for people by generating employment’

The deputy CM said that the land taken from a private individual was handed over to TGIIC by the Revenue Department to create an asset for the people of the State and provide job opportunities to lakhs of unemployed youth and that no one has any personal vested interest in this.

“Hyderabad has become a global city only because the then Congress chief minister Nedurumalli Janardhan Reddy laid foundation stones for Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the Hi-Tech City. Many IT companies have come to the city and set up companies, providing jobs to lakhs of youth, thereby developing the metropolis of Hyderabad,” he said.

No vested interests, says Bhatti

Similarly, the government has no vested interest in this, except that it is developing 400 acres of Kancha Gachibowli with the idea of creating wealth and providing jobs to young people.

“The draft layout prepared by TGIIC stated that these areas have been excluded from the layout as part of taking special measures to protect the natural rock formations, including the mushroom rock, present in these lands,” he said.

Bhatti also explained that the government is taking steps to maintain the ecological balance so that Hyderabad remains a pollution-free city. Some political parties, through their media outlets, are spreading massive propaganda on social media against the government’s efforts to give the land, which they fought and saved, as public property, instead of it falling into the hands of private individuals. He appealed to the people to understand and turn the narrative around.

“We won’t auction the State’s wealth for the interests of a few individuals. Sridhar Babu and I have a personal bond with the Hyderabad Central University. The State government will provide necessary support for the development of HCU, and that our government wants every student who studies there to get a job upon graduation and have a good future,” Bhatti said.

BRS and BJP are misleading the public for their political gains: Sridhar Babu

"The 400-acre land in Survey No. 25 at Kanche-Gachibowli is unequivocally government property. The BRS and BJP are misleading the public for their political gains. Such actions are unacceptable. Political maneuvering that hinders the state's progress is not in the best interest of the people," said IT Minister D Sridhar Babu

The minister said that the government has not encroached upon even an inch of land belonging to Hyderabad Central University (HCU). Until now, the university has had no legal ownership rights over a single acre of land.

"Students and staff have long been demanding a resolution to this issue. However, the BRS government, during its tenure, ignored their concerns. Now, they are engaging in a false propaganda campaign against us. A week ago, we held a dedicated meeting with the university's Vice-Chancellor and Registrar. Responding to their request, our government has proactively taken steps to grant legal ownership rights to the university in accordance with regulations," Sridhar Babu said.

"The public must understand the reality. We have rectified the mistakes made by the government in 2003 after coming to power under the leadership of Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy. We are strictly adhering to legal procedures. I urge students, faculty, non-teaching staff, and environmentalists not to be misled by false narratives," he said.