The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Encroachments thrive on Osmania varsity campus

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Wednesday, Aug 08, 2007
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Encroachments thrive on Osmania varsity campus

Swathi.V

‘Landlords’ of on-campus settlements harass hapless tenants

HYDERABAD: Sakina Begum lives in Camp-3 of Osmania University campus. Early this June, her landlords asked her to shift out so that they could repaint the house. Little aware of their designs, she vacated the house assuming it was only for the time being. Contrary to her belief, the house was locked and she was never allowed to return.

On the face of it, it appears a typical case of a landlord harassing his hapless tenant. But there is more to it. The landlord here does not own the land. At the best, he can be called a settler. The settlements on OU campus date back to the initial days of the University. Construction labourers from across Telangana, settled on the campus. Eventually, they built mud and brick houses in place of make-shift shanties. These settlements on the campus towards Habsiguda include Camps 1 to 9, Nursery Gardens, V.C. Lodge, Old Dairy Farm and Angadi Bazaar housing over 1,000 families.

Most of these houses are owned by second and third generation settlers, many among whom do not stay here anymore. However, they would not let go of their houses on the encroached property. They rent them out to the new comers. Forty five-year-old Zareena Begum works as a housemaid-cum-cook. “I paid a rent of Rs. 150 for a hut. I recently stopped paying it as there were many repairs. Now I dread the consequences,” she says. She took her case to the local religious heads who advised her to ‘buy’ the house from the ‘owner’. She says she can not afford it. Many tenants however, choose to buy the houses for amounts ranging from Rs.36,000 to Rs.60,000.

Locals say that any attempt to build a new house draws University security guards in droves expecting bribes. There has not been any initiative so far by the authorities towards proper housing.

They have to put up with “growing rents” till any such attempt is made. (Names changed on request)

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