VIJAYAWADA: The High Court has strongly objected to the allocation of 50 cents of land within the SVVCP Government Girls Junior College premises in Moolasagaram village of Nandyal Urban mandal for the establishment of a co-educational Urdu Junior College on Wednesday.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Dhiraj Singh Thakur and Justice Challa Gunaranjan questioned the rationale behind setting up a co-educational institution within a campus meant exclusively for girls. The court observed that establishing a college in such a limited extent of 50 cents would be contrary to prescribed norms and impractical from an infrastructure standpoint.

The bench directed the State government to maintain status quo with regard to the land allocation and clarified that the Urdu Junior College could be set up at an alternative location. It also instructed the government to file a detailed counter affidavit explaining the circumstances of the allocation. The matter has been adjourned by four weeks.

The court was hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Basava Rajeswarappa, president of the Hindu Devalaya Parirakshana Samiti in Nandyal, challenging the land allotment.

Senior counsel Kaliginidi Chidambaram, appearing for the petitioner, argued that introducing a co-educational college within a girls’ institution would create inconvenience for students. He also contended that the land in question was not government property but was donated.

The government, however, maintained that the construction was planned on vacant land and would not cause any inconvenience. The court disagreed and ordered continuation of the status quo.