400 acre Kancha Gachibowli land belongs to state: Govt

Hyderabad: The state administration has reiterated that the 400 acres at Kancha Gachibowli is govt-owned land and the University of Hyderabad (UoH) does not possess any rights. The govt also said it had proved its ownership in court and acquired the land – which was allotted to a private firm 21 years ago."This land (400 acres) is in possession of the state govt. Revenue records clearly state it is not forest land as reported by some, but rather owned by the govt," the chief minister's office (CMO) said.Amidst protests by UoH students for the past few days, the govt clarified that the development work and auction of the land in future will not affect the ecosystem, including rocks, in the vicinity. The govt further said that there was no lake on the land identified for development."The state govt is giving top priority to sustainable development and conservation of environment in every plan. Some political leaders and realty groups are opposing the project and misleading the students for their vested interests," the state govt said in a statement on Monday.Giving details of the land, the Telangana Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (TGIIC) said the 400 acres in Survey No. 25 in Kancha Gachibowli village of Serilingampally mandal of Rangareddy district was allotted to a private firm, IMG Academies Bharat Private Limited, for development of sports facilities, but it was later cancelled by the govt in 2006.A land survey was conducted with the consent of the UoH and in the presence of university officials including registrar, engineer, executive engineer, and revenue officials. Boundaries were fixed on the same day. Buffalo Lake and Peacock Lake are not within the limits of the 400 acres being developed by TGIIC, the govt said.The TGIIC has prepared a plan to preserve the Mushroom rock and other rock formations as green spaces in its layout, it said. Later, the corporation decided to prepare a comprehensive environmental management plan (EMP) for sustainable development in the area in the master plan, the govt said. The Telangana Industrial Infrastructure Corporation has not encroached upon land and not damaged any of the existing water resources (lakes) and rock formations, the govt said.