MoS Sanjay Kumar slams Telangana govt over Kancha Gachibowli land row, calls it ‘deplorable act’
Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], April 1 (ANI): Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar slammed the Telangana state government’s alleged plans to auction the 400 acres of land in Hyderabad’s Kancha Gachibowli, alleging that it falls under a forest zone.
In a press statement released on Tuesday, Kumar mentioned a Supreme Court ruling stating that forest areas can’t be cleared without the Union Government’s approval. He further noted that there was also a pending case in the High Court over the same plot of land.
“The 400 acres of land that the state government planned to auction fall under the forest zone. As per Supreme Court rulings, no forest land can be cleared without the approval of the central government. A case regarding the 400 acres in Kancha Gachibowli is currently pending in the High Court. In a case filed by an NGO called Vata Foundation, the High Court directed the state government to submit a counter by April 7. The auctioning of these lands is not permissible,” the release read.
Kumar accused the state government of defying court orders under the pretext of land levelling, saying, “The government is destroying the environment by removing trees and uprooting plants. Deforestation and selling these lands for thousands of crores is a deplorable act.”
He further criticised the Congress-led government, calling it “more reckless than the previous BRS government”, and questioned Chief Minister Revanth Reddy’s stance, asking, “Has Revanth Reddy forgotten that he once opposed the indiscriminate sale of government lands? The sale of Kancha Gachibowli lands is the pinnacle of Congress’s opportunistic politics.”
The Union Minister urged the state government to immediately withdraw its decision, warning, “Otherwise, the people are ready to teach a lesson.”
Meanwhile, a delegation of BJP MLAs were detained outside the MLA quarters in Hyderguda as they stepped out from the Quarters to visit Hyderabad Central University situated near the disputed 400 acres of land.
Earlier on Monday, the University of Hyderabad issued a statement refuting the claims regarding the land demarcation survey on its campus in July 2024.
In an official statement, the university clarified that it had neither agreed to nor been informed about any such survey for demarcating 400 acres of land. The administration dismissed the allegations as unfounded.
According to the University, “In response to the recent spread of misinformation in the media and other persons, the University of Hyderabad wishes to clarify that no survey was conducted in July 2024 by the revenue authorities on the University campus to demarcate the 400 acres of land resumed by the State Government in 2006 from Ms IMG Academies Bharata Pvt. Ltd.”
