KPHB slaps eviction notice on JNTU

HYDERABAD: Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University (JNTU)-Hyderabad, with over 415 colleges affiliated to it, might soon be forced to relocate from its 100-acre campus at Kukatpally. The Kukatpally Housing Board that owns the land on which the university stands has served eviction notice on the university stating that the lease period of 30 years had already expired.

While the land was leased out to the university at its inception in 1980 for a lease of Rs 1 lakh per annum, at present the board wants the university to either purchase the land for Rs 100 crore or take it on lease for Rs 1.26 crore per year.

“We get just about Rs 16 crores as grants out of which Rs 10 crore is paid back to the government under various labels. We will not be able to spare Rs 1.2 crores to KPHB every year,” said D N Reddy, vice-chancellor, JNTU. The JNTU campus has over 24 to 25 buildings. “We cannot give away the campus to the board after spending crores on developing it,” the VC said. The university authorities had earlier asked the state to intervene and exempt the university from such a huge lease amount. While the matter was brought to the notice of minister for higher education, Damodar Raja Narasimha, no action has been taken so far due to the political turmoil in the state.

Meanwhile, officials of Kukatpally housing board stated that the university should make the state government purchase the land. “Over 10 acres of land that was given to the university on lease is now occupied by private parties. The university did not take enough care to protect the land,” alleged board officials.

Source : TOI