The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : `Alienation' of HCU land for hospital triggers stir

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Oct 31, 2006
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

`Alienation' of HCU land for hospital triggers stir

Special Correspondent

University to have 50 per cent stake in the venture

ON THE DEFENSIVE: Vice-Chancellor of the University of Hyderabad pacifying protesters in Hyderabad on Monday. — Photo: G. Krishnaswamy

HYDERABAD: Students and employees of the University of Hyderabad gheraoed their Vice-Chancellor Seyed Hasnain on Monday demanding to know as to how 200 acres of prime varsity land was `alienated' to the city-based Care Foundation for setting up a super speciality 1,000-bed hospital.

The students, teachers and non-teaching staff, who formed a joint action committee to safeguard the university's lands, took objection to the wording in the MoU between the university and the Foundation.

Wording changed

The V-C conceded that the word `alienation' had "erroneously" crept into the minutes of the Executive Council and the same had been changed as `earmarked'. This implied that the Foundation could set up the National Institute of Health Education and Translation Research on the Gachibowli campus, but the land would belong to the university itself.

However, following the protest, the executive council at its meeting, deferred giving the final nod on the matter to hold consultations with the JAC members in a day or two.

" We not only have 50 per cent stake in the project but will also play a major role in its running. The institute, to be ready by 2008, will be a value addition to the university and also a revenue generator," Dr. Hasnain maintained.

He said Care Foundation was a `not-for-profit' body and participation of non-governmental bodies was inevitable for `doing extraordinary work' in new vistas of science when Governmental support was dwindling.

The V-C further said that the university was ready to ink more such deals.

This did not cut ice with the angry protesters. President of the university's Non-teaching Staff Association S. Sudhershan Rao wondered as to how HCU could allocate land without the Government's permission. Questioning the legal sanctity of Care Foundation, he said the institute could be set up in collaboration with national institutes and not an organisation spearheaded by `a private hospital with dubious record'.

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