PIL to stay GO alienating 400 acres at Kancha Gachibowli to TGIIC

Hyderabad: Kalapala Babu Rao, a retired scientist and advocate, on Tuesday filed a PIL in the Telangana High Court, seeking its intervention to stop the government from alienating 400 acres of forest land costing crores to the Telangana Industrial Infrastructure Corporation Ltd (TGIIC) on payment of market value at Rs. 75 crores/acre. He sought a direction to the government to stop violent deforestation by 30-40 excavators in Kancha Gachibowli in survey no 25, razing flora and fauna.

The government, through the TGIIC, is proposing to prepare an international master plan layout on 400 acres; it proposes an auction to sell plots in a phased manner to prospective buyers to generate erevnue. The last date for submission of bids was March 15. The petitioner and environmental protectionists didn’t have a clue of the government’s decision, until various newspapers reported from March 24.

Omar Farooq, counsel for the petitioner in PIL filed by VATA Foundation (ENPO), a registered trust and environmental organisation, sought a stay on GO 54 dated June 26, 2024, issued by the Principal Secretary (Revenue) in favour of TGIIC for acquiring 400 acres in Kancha Gachiboli, Serilingampally mandal, RR district for developing IT infrastructure.

The division bench of Acting CJ Sujoy Paul and Justice Yara Renuka heard the PIL on March 24 and issued notices to government and TGIIC, directing them to respond. Rao contends the government is razing forest land in 400 acres in Kancha Gachibowli in blatant violation of the SC judgment in TN Godhavarnan Thirumulpad Vs., Union of India and others, which clearly says that an expert committee should be constituted, which in turn will take up a survey of forest land as per the Forest Conservation Rules, 2023, and other Wild Life protection rules.

The petitioner informs court that the student unions in the University of Hyderabad, along with environmental activists, have vehemently opposed the government decision, whose voice is being suppressed by the police. The contradictory statements of the Chief Minister stating there are no deer or tigers in 400 acres; IT Minister saying in the House stating the two lakes found in 400 acres will not be touched, clearly speaks about the decision of the government to sell the land by converting it into plots for financial gain. He sought a direction to the government to stop JCBs from razing precious and rare flora and fauna

Rao contends the government has no authority or jurisdiction to allot or divert any land, including KG forest land, to TGIIC or any other authority for non-forest use, without obtaining prior approval from the Centre, as mandated under the Forest Conservation Act, 1980.