Under fire, IT Minister Sridhar Babu says Kancha Gachibowli land belongs to govt, not forest dept

Hyderabad: Under fire for auctioning 400 acres of land in Khancha Gachibowli, IT & Industries Minister Sridhar Babu clarified that the land belongs to the government and not forest department or any other institution. He pledged to preserve the mushroom rocks in the green zone.

Kancha Gachibowli is one of the few remaining urban forests in Hyderabad. This habitat hosts a wide range of birds and animals. There are approximately 237 species of birds on the campus. It’s one among the few urban forest areas that houses Spotted Deer, Wild Boars, Star Tortoises, and Snakes -Indian Rock Python, Vipers, Cobras, Boas, Kraits.

For the last few weeks, many residents of Hyderabad and the University of Hyderabad Students’ Union 2024-25 have been protesting against the development. Telangana State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation Limited (TSIIC) has announced the auction of 400 acres of land in Kancha Gachibowli, Serilingampally Mandal, Hyderabad. The estimated value of the land is ₹10,000 crore, and the auction process will take place from March 8 to 15, 2025.

They demanded to Immediately stop the auction work at Mushroom Rocks, Constitute a team of experts to assess the ecological significance of the area under attack, and transfer legal ownership of land to the University to prevent future land grabs and encroachments.

What did the Minister say?

According to his statement, the then Andhra Pradesh government allocated this 400-acre land in 2003 to IMG Academies Bharat Pvt. Ltd for developing sports facilities. However, IMG Academies did not initiate the project. In 2006, the Congress government identified violations of regulations and canceled the land allocation.

IMG Academies Bharat Pvt. Ltd. challenged this cancellation in the High Court, but on 07.03.2024, the High Court upheld the government’s decision.

IMG Academies then filed an SLP (Special Leave Petition) in the Supreme Court, which was dismissed on 03.05.2024.

Not a forest land:

Based on revenue records, the Deputy Collector and Tahsildar of Serilingampally confirmed that this 400-acre land belongs to the government. It was also clarified that this land does not belong to the Forest Department or any other institution and is purely government land.

No natural site:

The Minister stated that as per the new land allocation policy, the Revenue Department issued orders on 26.06.2024 to allocate these 400 acres to TGIIC. In 2024, Revenue officials officially handed over the land to TGIIC. Environmental & Development Aspects TGIIC clarified that there are no natural sites like Buffalo Lake or Peacock Lake in this 400-acre area.

Mushroom rocks will be preserved:

TGIIC has announced that unique rock formations and mushroom rocks in this land will be preserved as a green zone. A detailed environmental protection plan has been prepared and will be implemented. TGIIC has not encroached the land, nor has it removed any water bodies or rock structures.

"The government intends to develop world-class infrastructure in this government land through TGIIC. The development will be planned with a focus on sustainable growth.TGIIC is preparing to invite tenders for the integrated development of this land," the Minister stated.