Attempt to encroach school land sparks uproar in Sangareddy

An attempt to encroach four acres of school land in Patancheru triggered outrage after a building was demolished using bulldozers. Activists alleged violation of court orders and demanded government action to protect the land from illegal occupation.

Sangareddy: An attempt to encroach four acres of premium land belonging to a Zilla Parishad High School in Patancheru sparked an uproar in the district. At a time when the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) was taking up widening of the road here, the encroachers saw it as an opportunity and used giant bulldozers to demolish the school building on Tuesday night, even though the land was located some 10 metres away from the road.

Interestingly, no officials came forward to save the land, even after social activists made multiple calls to the revenue and police officials. The police reached the spot only after the building was completely razed. The attempt was made in violation of court directions. The district court and the High Court had declared that the land belonged to the school while disposing of petitions filed by some persons who approached the courts multiple times claiming it as their own.

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Even the Supreme Court dismissed their petition, putting an end to their efforts to claim the land. Since the school was shifted to primary school premises after the building was declared unfit for running classes, the encroachers, who lost court cases, had focused on grabbing the land located in the heart of the town along the busy NH-65.

Earlier, they made a bid to encroach nine guntas of land by erecting huts along the highway side. Telangana Praja Sangala JAC Chairman and former teacher at the school Y Ashok Kumar demanded that the government protect the land where it can build an ultra modern residential school for the poor. He said that they were preparing to organise a dharna shortly with former students, teachers and social activists to protect the public land. Medak MP M Raghunandan Rao also demanded action against the culprits who demolished the dilapidated building of the school.