HYDERABAD: Even as University of Hyderabad (UoH) finds itself in a muddle over the earmarking of 200 acres of land to Care Foundation, the fate of 137 acres of the 534 acres it doled out to IMG Bharata Academy during Chandrababu Naidu's regime hangs in balance.

The Naidu Government entered into an agreement with IMG Bharata in August 2003 and handed over a mandate to them to manage sports complexes at Gachibowli and promote sports events. IMG Bharata was allotted 850 acres of land at Serilingampally and Mamidipally at a very nominal price.

The university alienated 534 acres of its land for the project. Then Government promised to compensate the loss by allotting same amount of land near the university after the institution declined to accept monetary compensation.

The Government later identified 394 acres in Gopanpally, adjacent to the university, and transferred the same to the institution. The remaining 134 acres of land was kept pending in search of a suitable place.

When university officials met Chief Minister Y.S Rajasekhara Reddy recently seeking the remaining land, he reportedly ticked them off for alienating the land. Sources said the Chief Minister went to the extent of saying that it was done to favour Mr. Naidu ignoring the objectives of the university.

Though the Government's decision to cancel the deal with IMG Bharata has heartened the varsity authorities, the `mood' of the Government is a reason for worry. Sources said the Chief Minister was particularly peeved at the university giving away such a huge extent of its land for activities other than academics.

Meanwhile, the varsity authorities blame senior officials of the Government for the impasse.

An official of HCU said that the Ranga Reddy district Collector had already identified the land and even the Chief Minister was in favour of allocating it but senior officials were preventing its transfer.

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