Osmania University: Time for a second thought
Revenue officials suggested that Osmania could form a panel of experts to look at all leases, case by case.
Hyderabad: Notwithstanding previous decisions, the Osmania University and the State government are being urged to make efforts to revisit the leased lands issue so that the university gets its fair share of revenues.
Former vice-chancellor T. Tirupathi Rao felt this issue should be given top priority. The varsity should communicate with each leased party and work out a new deal, to ensure it gets a higher rent than what it is currently receiving.
Organisations that are financially sound and earning good revenues and paying rental tariff of just one rupee per acre, should definitely have to pay more, he felt.
Revenue experts point out to GO 218 of the Telangana government in 2015 and GO 571 introduced in 2012 in the combined state relating to leasing out of government lands to different government departments and private organisations.what are they pointing to it for?
Revenue officials suggested that Osmania could form a panel of experts to look at all leases, case by case.
The varsity should hold discussions with concerned parties that are benefitting unilaterally and look at the possibility of revising rates. Without the full backing of the government, this will not be successful, so the varsity should reach out to politicians to take this forward, a retired official said. Meanwhile, Battu Satyanarayana, president of the Osmania University Teachers' Association (OUTA) said that there was no harm in revisiting decisions made in the past. It is easy to see how the varsity is losing out on revenue if one compares the rental tariffs fixed on these leased lands and existing markets rates, he said.
University administrators say that the anomalies in the leased lands is on their mind and they will focus on this once the three-day inaugural celebrations for the centenary of the university are completed in April.
“We have identified organisations such as the Institute of Public Enterprise (IPE) that has built a modern campus in Shamirpet but still is in possession of five acres of land leased to it in the OU campus. We will be serving notices to them to hand over the varsity land,” an official said.