Acquisition of PJTSAU lands by govt decried

Hyderabad: Is the State government going the BRS way? This issue is a hot topic among academic circles and students in corridors of State universities.

If the goings-on are any indication, this is one of the reasons why there is sudden opposition up students and student unions against acquiring 100 acres of Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agriculture University (PJTSAU). Equally, though those in university services are not forthcoming, there is a lurking suspicion towards the government’s intent.

Speaking to The Hans India, a former senior PJTSAU official said, "PJTSAU was the only one which had enjoyed some autonomy from bureaucrats during the BRS regime. It had a vice-chancellor for nearly two terms unlike other State universities. The university had also contributed a lot in terms of research and development." As per norms PJTSAU should have board of management (BoM) and a board of academics (BoA). While BoA is the top body that takes final call on academic issues, it is BoM which has to take a final call on most non-academic issues. Including acquiring and alienation of university lands, or allocation of its lands for setting up any incubators in partnership with other entities. "Universities are autonomous bodies and if the State government has to acquire any of its lands, it has to get concurrence from BoM before issuing orders to allocate the same." This is the issue on which students and faculty feel the government is adopting the ways of its predecessor, the government's bureaucratic domination was visible in every affair of the universities.

When asked the university sources said, " PJTSAU had enjoyed autonomy to a larger extent vis-a-vis other State universities during the BRS regime.. It alone had a full-time vice-chancellor most of the time since the formation of Telangana vis-a-vis other State universities." The university had equally fulfilled a lot of expectations that the government reposed in the university through its research and development activities making it one of the top agriculture universities in the country.

However, the university did not have a full-fledged BoM which was supposed to be a 22-member body. Apart from government nominees, BoM should have representatives from the Indian Council for Agriculture Research (ICAR), public representatives, eminent agriculture scientists, ‘adarsh’ farmers. However, the university had to run the show with a BoM with mostly government nominees dominating affairs of BoM for the past 10 years. That apart, currently the university is headed by an in-chorage vice-chancellor who is also part of the government administrative machinery.

"Faculty, research scholars or students are aware that if BoA had given its node. Secondly, the land proposed to be acquired also houses the entities running research and academic activities. Hence, it also falls within the ambit of BoA. Any change in the usage of land should also have the clearance of BoA. Whether BoA and BoM have given their approval for alienation of university land? If so, why was it kept under wraps till a GO was issued? Or is it that the government has unilaterally issued orders for acquiring land of PJTSAU?