After University of Hyderabad, Telangana Congress govt eyes MANUU’s land

The Congress government issued a show cause notice to the MANUU administration seeking an explanation as to why it should not take back the 50 acres of the university's unutilised land into its custody. The University sought two months' time to submit a detailed response.

Hyderabad: After trying to grab the University of Hyderabad (UoH) land to the tune of 400 acres in Kancha Gachibowli, the Telangana Congress government is now eyeing prime land of Maulana Azad National Urdu University (MANUU), citing violation of rules.

The State government via the Rangareddy district administration recently served a show cause notice on MANUU seeking explanation as to why it should not take back the varsity’s unutilised land to an extent of 50 acres in Manikonda village, Gandipet mandal, into its custody.

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After resuming land of 200 acres in Manikonda village, Rajendranagar (now Gandipet) mandal from the Hyderabad Urban Development Authority, the then State government handed over advance possession of the land to Vice Chancellor, M Shamim Jairapuri, who was appointed by the Central government for the purpose of setting up the Urdu University, pending finalisation of alienation proposals in 1998.

According to the notice, the university was given 200 acres of land in survey numbers 211 and 212 of Manikonda village on July 23, 1998. Over the years, the university established structures in an extent of 150 acres and 50 acres of land have been kept vacant on the ground and unutilised.

The cash-starved Congress government, which is filling its coffers via land auctions, apparently has an eye on this unutilised university land. Accordingly, the district level monitoring and audit committee, which met under Rangareddy collector chairmanship on August 27, 2024, recommended obtaining necessary instructions from the government on unutilised vacant government land. It also recommended regular alienation orders with respect to the land allotted to the institution.

Following these recommendations, Chief Commissioner of Land Administration on April 4, 2025, issued an order for ‘resumption of unutilised government land to an extent of 50 acres out of total alienated land of 200 acres situated in survey number 211 and 212 of Manikonda village, Gandipet mandal, Rangeddy district, from Maulana Azad National Urdu University, on violation of conditions of rule 6 of (Telangana area) alienation of State Land Revenue Rules, 1975, and other usual conditions, to utilise it for other public services and kept at the disposal of the Rangareddy district collector for safe custody’.

The University was given seven days to respond to the notice. Responding to the notice, MANUU Registrar Prof. Sk Ishtiaque Ahmed said the varsity would submit a detailed reply in two months after studying the notice, engagement of land on MANUU campus, its future expansion for construction of various academic buildings, residential hostels, accommodation facilities etc., which is already under active process.

“The DPR of various building projects are awaited from the CPWD Hyderabad and this will subsequently be submitted to the Ministry of Education, Government of India for sanction and release of grants for taking up construction works,” he added.