The student movements have seemingly fallen on deaf ears. Despite protests and demands from students and intellectuals, the Revanth Reddy government proceeded with the construction of a new High Court building in the Agricultural University lands.
The construction site, sprawling over approximately 100 acres within the Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University and Kondalakshman Telangana State Horticultural University in Rajendranagar, Ranga Reddy District, has stirred controversy.
Authorities have remained conspicuously silent, with the varsity vice-chancellor, Neeraja Prabhakar, failing to address the concerns. The police have issued warnings to students, cautioning against interference and threatening arrests for inquiries into the matter. Public organizations have called for a halt to the construction, decrying the destruction of the 40-year-old forest wealth and valuable vegetation.
Amid heavy police presence, trees are being felled, and land is being leveled to make way for the High Court. Critics argue that the existing High Court building could serve for another century with minor renovations, estimating that a fraction of the allocated budget would suffice.
Concerns mount over the potential repercussions on farmers, agricultural research, and university students, with allegations of governmental disregard for dissenting voices. The estimated value of the 100-acre biodiversity-rich land earmarked for the High Court stands at a staggering Rs. 6 lakh crores.