Land encroachment is rampant in OU campus

HYDERABAD: Criminal activities like land encroachment and illegal construction in and around Osmania university is commonplace.  Many individuals and political leaders take advantage of the lethargic varsity officials, who remain in hibernation mode, and are least concerned about defending the campus land.

An even more deplorable aspect is that despite assaults on students, who attempt to stop illegal constructions, the management and the police are turning a blind eye to the murky goings-on. They don’t take action against encroachers nor do they take steps to protect the lands that are valued in crores.

When Vikas Goud, a second-year MSc student, along with ABVP representatives attempted to halt unlawful construction work on Saturday, they were bashed up by land grabbers and their henchmen.

On Monday, ABVP members staged a protest at the OU police station decrying that police officials had not taken any action against the land grabbers, although the victims had lodged a complaint on Sunday. Later they re-registered a complaint against the attackers.

ABVP leader Jeevan said that the university land has shrunk from 2,400 acres to 1,600 acres. He alleged that several outsiders and goons, who are hand-in glove with university officials, have been indulging in illegal constructions in and around the campus.

He said, “The management has utterly failed in protecting university lands. It does not raise a voice when students are being attacked by land grabbers.”

During a scuffle between ABVP members and private persons, Vikas was injured. The student leaders filed a complaint with OU police and met Vice Chancellor Prof. D. Ravinder to submit a presentation regarding the land encroachment and violence against students.

Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, OU Registrar Prof. Pappula Laxminarayana said that the management had filed a case against the land grabbers on Sunday. He said, “We are taking all measures to protect university lands from encroachments and a team of officials constituted under the Medchal-Malkajgiri collector began a land survey on June 3.”

He said that the OU land will be registered digitally once the survey is done.

He also said, “A case is being prosecuted in Medchal-Malkajgiri court regarding a land encroachment that took place last year.”