Will educational institutions built by All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) legislator AkbaruddinOwaisi in Bandlaguda area will be demolished by civic authorities? This question is currently being debated in political circles after allegations that these institutions were built by occupying a lake’s territory, Radiance News reported on August 30.
With the Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA) demolishing alleged illegal structures belonging to some politicians, and issuing notices to some others to reclaim the land of lakes, ponds, reservoirs, and other water bodies in and around Hyderabad, a college and a school built by AkbaruddinOwaisi in Bandlaguda have come under the scanner.
The Fathima Owaisi Women’s College, and the Owaisi School of Excellence are run by the Salar-e-Millat Educational Trust, which is founded by AkbaruddonOwaisi.
“Please attack me again with swords and guns, but do not destroy the good work being done by me,” said the AIMIM MLA while reacting to reports that the authorities are planning to demolish the school and college buildings.
AkbaruddinOwaisi, who survived an assassination attempt in 2011 with critical injuries, made the emotive appeal. He also stated he would not show his back to enemies.Stating that the school and college are offering education to lakhs of underprivileged students, the MLA from Chandrayangutta appealed to authorities not to destroy their future.
A few days ago, some officials visited the school and college constructed on the land of SurramCheruvu lake.Environment activists point out that Google Earth satellite images from 2012-14 show the lake free of encroachments, but by October 2015 it was filled up and a residential colony came up on it.
According to activist LubnaSarwath, encroachments on lake and its channels led to flooding of several residential areas surrounding it.
AkbaruddinOwaisi is not the only politician whose educational institutions are under scrutiny for alleged encroachments.Authorities have issued notices to colleges owned by opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLA Marri Rajasekhar Reddy.MLR Institute of Technology (MLRIT) and Institute of Aeronautical Engineering in Dundigal in MedchalMalkajgiri district on the outskirts of Hyderabad have been built illegally in the Full Tank Level (FTL) and Buffer Zone of ChinnaDamaracheruvu Lake.
The two colleges are part of the chain of educational institutions run by the family of BRS leader and MLA Malla Reddy. The former minister is father-in-law of Rajasekhar Reddy.
Recently, a police case was registered against BRS MLA PallaRajeshwar Reddy for allegedly building Anurag University in the buffer zone of a water body at Venkatapuram, Medchal-Malkajgiri district.
It was alleged the Anurag Group of Institutions, under Gayatri Educational Trust, trespassed and constructed a college building, damaging NadamCheruvu, a restored tank in the buffer zone.
The BJP has questioned the Congress government over the delay in demolishing AkbaruddinOwaisi’s educational institutions. Its leaders asked Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy why bulldozers are not being used in the old city.
A few corporators of BJP met HYDRAA Commissioner A.V. Ranganath, seeking action against AkbaruddinOwaisi’s institutions. The IPS officer said if the colleges were demolished in the middle of the academic year, the students would suffer.
HYDRAA has received several requests from parents to spare educational institutions from demolition drive as the academic year was in progress.Ranganath confirmed that several parents have approached and requested him to postpone demolition until the end of the academic year.
Amid the row, the Chief Minister has made it clear that encroachments on water bodies in the name of educational institutions would not be tolerated.
[Read more on Radiancenews.com]