Hyderabad: A section of teachers and students are strongly protesting the move of Hyderabad University to allow 200 acres of land for Knowledge and Innovation Park (KIP) on its campus.
With the extended support of the opposition parties including Telugu Desam Party and Communist Party of India-Marxist, the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the faculty, non-teaching staff and students have forced the University’s authorities to the put the project on pause. Vice Chancellor Seyed E. Hasnain said that the University has not stopped the project, but at the moment, no further steps would be taken regarding the establishment of Knowledge Park.
By describing it as a ‘bilateral project’, Vice Chancellor of the University Seyed E. Hasnain said it is up to the Andhra Pradesh government to take a further decision on this issue. He rejected the allegations of JAC that the University had sold prime land to the outsiders. The KIP project is an endeavor of collaboration between the state Government and Hyderabad University, to promote research activities conducted by the private organizations on the land leased by the university and to raise much-needed funds through these research activities.
He further added that the project is a non-profit venture instead of special economic zone (as few teachers allege). The project would help to generate Rs.100 crore and the University will claim 89 % stake of the project, while the remaining 11% will be owned by Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (APIIC).
On the other hand, the JAC has desired that the vice chancellor should move towards President Pratibha Patil for required funds rather than 'selling' land to the others. JAC convenor N. Purendra Prasad alleged that the university is selling Rs.4,000 crore worth of land to raise Rs.100 crore. He argues that there is no other central university in the country that has allotted its land to private enterprises for the purpose of raising funds.
