NEW DELHI, Apr 2: The Telangana High Court on Wednesday halted – for 24 hours – work on 400 acres of land in Kancha Gachibowli near the Hyderabad Central University, which was allotted to Telangana Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (TGIIC). The interim order was passed as the court heard Public Interest Litigations (PIL) filed by students and the Vata Foundation.
The petitioners had sought a stay arguing that the TGIIC was cutting trees using bulldozers in violation of Supreme Court orders. A part of the land in the 400-acres was cleared in the past few days by pressing into service heavy machinery. The land is proposed to be auctioned by TGIIC, which is being opposed by different sections, including students of Hyderabad University and other universities and different people’s associations.
A bench of Acting Chief Justice Sujoy Paul and Justice Renuka Yara heard two PIL petitions questioning allotment of the 400-acre to TGIIC and seeking a direction to stay excavations and felling of trees there. After hearing contentions of the counsels of the petitioners and Advocate General A. Sudarshan Reddy in the matter, the bench passed interim directions instructing the government to stop all works and cutting of trees at the place.
“No destruction, no cutting trees” said Acting Chief Justice Sujoy Paul. The hearing will continue on Thursday. The petitioners had argued that although the land had been allotted pursuant to a state order, TGIIC had to follow the top court’s orders; i.e., constitute of a committee to oversee the felling of trees.
Specifically, the top court had ruled that if the land was inhabited by wildlife the committee would have to study the impact of felling of trees for a month before reaching a decision. The petitioners claimed the land in question was home to many species of animals and birds and, accordingly, the Vata Foundation, a non-governmental organisation, sought deemed forest status and demanded it be declared a ‘national park’ under the Wildlife (Protection) Act.
However, Advocate-General Sudershan Reddy, appearing for the Telangana government, told the court that the 400 acres was not recognised as a ‘forest’, a fact he stressed by pointing out high-rise buildings – with four helipads – had been built on adjacent parcels. He also argued that several areas in Hyderabad had snakes and peacocks, all of which could not be declared ‘forests’.
The University students had launched a protest after the TGIIC began the work to clear the land of trees and rocks for its auction for the development of IT parks. The students have announced an indefinite boycott of classes until their demands are met.
The situation escalated Sunday when bulldozers arrived to flatten the land. A confrontation ensued and the students were thrashed by the police, who accused them of obstructing government officials from doing their work. The Telangana government has clarified it has not taken land belonging to the university, and criticised the opposition BRS and BJP for spreading lies about the land for political gains.
Stringent action will be taken against those obstructing development, the state said.
The BJP’s entry into the matter widened the political row after the BRS accused the police of manhandling the protesting students. The BRS had earlier attacked the Congress, accusing its top leader Rahul Gandhi of spreading hatred on the pretext of ‘Mohabbat ki Dukaan’.
(Manas Dasgupta)
