MANUU officials reject infrastructure proposals under PPP model

Days after the Telangana government issued a token notice to reintroduce a 50-acre land parcel to Maulana Azad National Urdu University (MANUU), top university officials clarified that proposals to develop infrastructure, including a data center and medical college, in just over 30 acres under a public-private partnership (PPP) were examined and ultimately opposed.

Negotiations took place among faculty, administrative staff and other stakeholders before the proposals were reviewed by a high-level panel, according to officials familiar with the matter. The board weighed the pros and cons and concluded that it would not be in the institution’s best interest to move forward.

“The agreement was to be for at least 30 years. The construction was planned on an area of ​​approximately 30 acres or a little more. The proposal included an artificial intelligence data center on a large part of the land and a medical college and hospital on the remaining, smaller part,” said an official who was aware of the developments and did not want to be identified. “The panel of senior MANUU officials opposed the proposal due to concerns that it would allow private entities to enter the university.”

Another staff member noted that the university’s mandate as a centralized institution made such long-term private involvement problematic. “You must understand that the bigger issue is granting access. Long-term agreements with individuals or organizations in such contexts can be problematic at a later stage. They were of the view that the PPP guidelines set by the relevant authorities should be followed in letter and spirit,” the member said.

However, there appeared to be a difference of opinion among panel members and other senior officials who confirmed the development. The official described the stage of the proposals as “pending” and said, “The future hospital and medical school proposal could be beneficial for staff and students. However, this was evaluated as ‘worrying’ by the committee.”

He noted that this bid dependence does not mean that there are not other plans for how the land will be used. “Just because some proposals are pending does not mean that there are no other proposals. There are discussions about building hostels and other infrastructure for the university,” he said.

Student leaders and MANUU staff said Revenue Department staff were in talks with management. The first stated that the demonstrations would continue until the circular was withdrawn.