Saved Kancha Gachibowli 400 Acres: Minister

Telangana Tourism Minister Jupally Krishna Rao today said that the State government had not taken any land from Hyderabad Central University (HCU), and had in fact protected 400 acres of land that could have been lost to private individuals.

During a press conference at Gandhi Bhavan, Rao said that the 400 acres located in Survey Number 25 at Kanche Gachibowli did not belong to HCU, and that the land had in fact been illegally claimed by a private entity and that the State government had demonstrated its ownership of the land in court and ultimately secured it through legal proceedings.

He dismissed claims that the land was a forest, and said, "The presence of trees in an area that has remained vacant for two decades does not make it a forest."

The minister also said that there were several misunderstandings regarding the university's land, and that certain forces were actively working to sow discord and mislead both the students and the public for their own political interests.

Rao also explained that the government was focused on reclaiming lakes in Hyderabad that had been encroached upon for many years, and that there was no need for the government to acquire land from HCU.