Varsity land alienation: CM says Govt has not decided

Hyderabad, Apr 6 (UNI) Even as TDP and BJP activists staged a dharna at Acharya N G Ranga Agriculture University (ANGRAU) protesting against the reported proposal to alienate university land to private contractors for road laying, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy today asserted no decision had been taken on this.

He told reporters here, 'the whole issue is the creation of the media. The Government is yet to take a decision on awarding contract for the project on basis of BOT (build, operate, transfer) or any other form'.

University officials had not been asked to pass any resolution for alienation of land as reported in a section of the press, he added.

Asked about growing resistance from farmers to take over their land for various projects, including a Golf course on the city outskirts, he said the decision to go for a Golf course in the private sector was taken by the previous Government. He had directed officials to ensure a reasonable price to those whose land was taken over for any project. Whenever projects were taken up, cost of land in the vicinity was being hiked manifold and the Government was not in a position to pay such market rates, he maintained.

Asked about the Supreme court's direction for conversion of the IMAX theatre on encroached land into a museum, he said he was unaware of the development. 'Let us see what can be done', he added.

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