Hyderabad: Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy formed a committee with a group of ministers (GOM) on Thursday to consult with the Executive Committee of the University of Hyderabad (UOH) (UOH) and stakeholders, recommending a move forward on the Kancha Gachibowli land issue.
The GOM will include Deputy Chief Minister Malu Bhatti Vikramarka and Ministers D/Sridhar Babu and Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy.
GOM is required to consult with the UOH Executive Committee, the UOH Joint Action Committee (JAC), including student unions, teaching and non-teaching personnel, in addition to various civil society groups, student delegations and all relevant stakeholders.
The move comes hours before the Supreme Court directed the government on Thursday to stop “shocking deforestation” on Kancha Gachibowli land.
Earlier, Deputy Chief Ministers Bhatti and Sridhar Babu, said the state government would fully comply with the Supreme Court’s order on the land issue of Kancha Gachibowli. They reiterated that all information will be submitted to the Supreme Court within the prescribed time, reaffirming their belief in the judicial system.
In a joint statement issued Thursday, they said justice would prevail and directed officials, including additional DGP (intelligence) and Sebrabad Police Commissioner, to exercise restraint and avoid harsh measures against protesting students.
Sridhar Babu criticized the BRS and called for its “hypocrisy” claiming to protect UOH land if rule is restored. He clarified that the Congressional administration had no intention of encroaching on university land and promised that even no inch would be disturbed.
He accused BRS leaders of misleading students by using fabricated images and manipulating videos to cause unrest through social media. “BRS tries to use students as pawns of political gains,” he said, condemning their alleged deceptive strategies.
The minister further criticized BRS work chairman KT Rama Rao for resorting to personal attacks on Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy. He demanded an apology for the Chief Minister’s “baseless” remarks and argued that the government focused on industrial development and job creation, while the opposition carried out false propaganda to hinder progress.
The minister clarified that the 400 acres of land in Gachibowli had nothing to do with UOH.
“This land is legally owned by the government confirmed by the High Court and the Supreme Court. The TD government in the undivided Andhra Pradesh has allocated it to a private company, but it was the Congress government that revoked the decision and protected the land.”
He questioned why the BRS remained silent on these lands for a decade, but is now in a “political drama”. He further accused the BRS government of abusing land in the surrounding areas for personal and political gains.
Bhatti and Sridhar Babu attacked BRS with their suspicious environmental records, citing examples of deforestation. They said that between 2014 and 2023, the BRS government oversees the destruction of 4,28,437 acres.
They said the Kalshwaram project resulted in the clearing of 7,829 acres of forest and cutting down more than 1.2 million trees between 2016 and 2019. They also claimed that the BRS destroyed nearly 1,000th century trees to build a new secretariat.
They recalled that during the BRS government there were plans to build two-bedroom houses on Ottomania University land. When students protested, the plan was cancelled. “Now, they pretend to protect UOH land that has never been threatened,” they said.
Ministers urged the BRS to abandon its “anti-development mentality” and align with the aspirations of the people rather than spreading “lie and deception.” They assert that if the BRS is the real goal of “building turmoil and hindering industrial progress in the state.”
