Flagrant violations found in Islamic ‘University’ building

The Fact-Finding Committee constituted by the Tirumala Tirupati Samrakshana Samithi headed by Justice S Parvatha Rao, former AP High Court Judge with T.S. Rao, ex-DGP as convener and Dr C Umamaheswara Rao, retired IAS officer as member to probe into the establishment of an Islamic University in the holy town of Tirupati, has expressed its concern over the illegal construction and flagrant violation of rules while constructing the seven-storeyed building for the proposed Islamic University for Women near Thondavada village.

In its report the Committee has put forward certain recommendations and hoped that that the Government and other authorities concerned would act promptly and decisively in this matter. It may be recalled that reports appeared in newspapers in the second week of September 2013 regarding the construction of a big complex of seven storeys near Thondavada village about 11 km from Tirupati with a display board with the name International Islamic University for Women and College and School for Muslim Women.

Shaik Nowhera, founder and CEO of Heera group of companies has undertaken the construction by obtaining permission from the village panchayat of Thondavad. The Committee which visited Thondavada on November 11, 2013 interacted with the villagers and the newly elected Sarpanch and the previous Sarpanch were present. The villagers told the Committee that they had no idea whatsoever about the real purpose for which the building was constructed until a board was put up in front of it indicating that it was for an International Islamic University for Muslim Women.

The villagers stated that after the old Gurrappa temple by the side of the road to Thondavada was renovated, a name board for the temple was sought to be put up at the entrance of the road on October 11, 2013 for which Shaik Nowhera and her associates vehemently objected to that and brought about 300 women in Burkha in buses who were made to squat on the road for a long time and that only after conciliation by some elders, the board was allowed to be put up.

The Committee had also met the district collector, the joint collector, the superintendent of police, the joint executive officer of TTD and the vice-chairman of Tirupati Urban Development Authority (TUDA) at Tirupati on the same day. The officials have confirmed that TUDA has given only technical clearance for ground and first floor of the building and the actual construction made by the Society is in flagrant violation of the sanctioned plan.

Going through the information available, the committee has found that Shaik Nowhera applied for conversion of 1.49 acres as non-agriculture purpose and actually they have constructed the boundary wall around the land which was more than the mentioned in the document. It is a clear case of land encroachment.

The committee has learnt that as per the rules, if the construction exceeds two floors, approval has to be given by TUDA and though a seven floor complex in about five acres of land is being built, no approval has been taken from TUDA by Ms. Shaik Nowhera or the Society. After they applied to TUDA and Thondavada Panchayat for constructing ground floor plus first floor of the building, they began the construction of the building.

Contrary to the sanctioned plan, they laid a foundation for ground plus six floors building and proceeded with the construction of the same continuously in spite of notices issued by the Thondavada Panchayat. There was fraudulent suppression of a very serious nature as the actual undisclosed intention was to construct a building with ground plus six floors even when the applications were made along with the plan for a building of ground floor and first floor, the committee found.

Apart from the above, the committee has also found the following matters of concern: a) A compound wall of 12 feet height has been constructed contrary to condition 5 mentioned in the Order. b) Surveillance cameras on public movement along the road to Thondavada by the side of the compound wall of the building in question. c) Construction of a further structure behind the building in the open land outside the compound wall which the local population believes is for a mosque. d) Unauthorized occupation of Government and other land within the boundary walls and constructing the building in land in other survey numbers for which no approval and conversion was obtained. e) The lands surrounding the building complex are part of Swarnamukhi River and its various Nallas.

The building will obstruct flow of water into the river and revival of Swarnamukhi River under Swarnamukhi River Rejuvenation Project will not be possible in future. The Rejuvenation Project provides for construction of sub-surface dams with a mission of rejuvenating the river.

The fact-finding committee recommended that the Security agencies should evaluate a possible threat from the newly constructed building which is shrouded in secrecy and initiate action to safeguard Tirumala Tirupati Divya Kshetram and the pilgrims. Investigation should be thoroughly carried out as regards the source of funding under the various statutes and laws of the land.

Income tax department should investigate into the income and expenditure of Heera group of companies etc. and in particular this Society and ascertain whether accounts are maintained and audited and whether returns are being filed by them regularly and got assessed. Illegal structure beyond the plan for which technical clearance was given by TUDA vide its Order dated 08.03.2010 should be demolished and encroachments on the govt. lands should be removed.

The remaining structure should be used by the Society only for running educational institutions as per the existing objects of the Society and after obtaining the necessary permissions and building clearances. Alternatively, TTD may be requested to take over the building and use it for its purposes without any compensation for the building because it is an illegal structure and if at all, considering the payment of the cost price of the land purchased by the applicant after ascertaining that the source of money is legal or alternatively, Padmavathi Mahila University may be requested to take over the building after the government resumes the same for running an educational institution in the area in accordance with their mandate. The illegal structures like pillars behind the rear compound wall of the building in question on the river side have to be removed/demolished.