Hyderabad: Osmania University students up in arms over leasing faculty quarters

Students demanded the university administration immediately cancel the lease agreement

Hyderabad: Different student organisations on Tuesday upped the ante in protest against the Osmania University administration’s decision to lease professor quarters on the campus to a private organisation.

The BRSV, the students organisation of the BRS, strongly opposed the decision to lease university quarters to a private organisation, Aadi Dhwani Trust, and demanded the immediate withdrawal of agreement, warning that failure to do so will result in direct action from the student body.

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The University’s land has already shrunk to 1,300 acres due to encroachments, the BRSV said, adding that “Rather than protecting these lands, university officials are leasing them to private parties at throwaway prices”. The BRSV members – Jangaiah, along with Prashanth, Mithun, Nagender Rao, Avinash, Vinod, and Satish – submitted a representation to the OU Registrar.

Meanwhile, left student organisations staged a protest at OU Arts College demanding the immediate cancellation of lease agreement with Aadi Dhwani Trust. The student leaders expressed their outrage over the decision to lease the P1, P2, and P3 professors’ quarters—located opposite RTC Hospital and valued at over Rs 200 crore.

The students criticised the university administration for neglecting its duty to protect university property. “At a time when OU lands are being encroached upon, instead of safeguarding them, officials are leasing them out in violation of existing norms and public interest,” the unions said.