Students fume at KCR’s proposal

Housing for poor in OU

OUJAC warns of upping the ante if government does not change its plans

Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao’s plans to utilise vacant land in Osmania University premises to construct two-bedroom houses for the poor in Secunderabad is likely to run into rough weather. KCR, who made the announcement on Sunday, appeared to be unhappy over the protests by students and criticism by political parties.

He reiterated that every inch of government land will be utilised for the welfare of people. “This is democracy and nobody can stop the government from taking people-oriented decisions,” he said while speaking at a meeting organised in Hamali Basti on Monday.Sources in OU claim that they were taken aback by the announcement as the government had not consulted them in this regard.

University students are up in arms over this issue and the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee as well as the BJP senior leader Nagam Janardhan Reddy cautioned the government from making any such move. OU JAC and Congress leader Kailash Nath suffered a minor injury when students jostled with police. “Students are not opposed to permanent accommodation for deprived sections, but alternate land should be considered in place of OU,” he said.

“Government should crack whip against encroachers and influential industrialists and filmwallas, who illegally grabbed thousands of acres of government land in the State capital in the last few decades. Those lands should be redeemed and used for ‘housing for poor’ scheme,” the student leaders as well the politicians said.

“The varsity is in urgent need of new hostels for students, whose numbers are growing each year. Thousands of fourth-class employees have been working here for several years without permanent shelter. KCR should consider constructing houses for them on priority in the vacant OU lands,” Kailash felt.

The OUJAC warned the government of serious protests if it did not changed its decision in the coming days. In a strong worded reaction, Leader of Opposition Mohammed Ali Shabbir has criticised the proposal of KCR to acquire 11 acres of land of Osmania University. Shabbir Ali alleged that the chief minister appears to be suffering from 'open land phobia'.

“Wherever he sees an open land, he comes out with some construction plans. In the name of weaker section housing, KCR wants to handover land to realtors for personal gains. New courses are offered by the university on regular basis and it needs more space and buildings for future needs.

By 2020, more than 20,000 foreign students are expected to join the university," explained Shabbir.Senior BJP leader Nagam Janardhan Reddy announced that he will launch an agitation if the TRS government attempts to take over the land belonging to Osmania University.