The move to change the name of ‘Kasturba Govt Junior College’ after ‘Grandhi Venkateshwara Rao’ who is the father of ruling YSRCP MLA Srinivas Grandhi has kicked up a controversy in Bhimavaram town in West Godavari district.
This controversy follows a massive row over privatisation of historic MR college in Vijayanagaram run by the MANSAS Trust since 1869. The locals and the alumni of the ‘Kasturba Govt Junior College’ stated that Murthy Raju named the educational institutions after freedom fighter Kasturba Gandhi. Bhimavaram MLA Grandhi Srinivas changed the name of the college as his family has donated land to this 70-year-old college.
The controversy coincided with the celebration of 151st birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi on Friday. In a petition to the government, Ashok Verma said, “College in Bhimavaram was established by Late Chinthalapati Varaprasad Murthy Raju. He dedicated his whole life to establish Educational Institutions throughout West Godavari District. He spread Gandhian principles, values and most importantly ‘Education’ to all sections of the society and public.” Along with scores of educational institutes, he established a Government Junior College in the 1960s at Bhimavaram. This college was named after “Kasturba”, wife of ‘Father of the Nation”.
But unfortunately, the Jagan government renamed it as ‘Grandhi Venkateswara Rao’ Government Junior College. He is the father of YSRCP MLA, Mr. Grandhi Srinivas. Not only the civil society of West Godavari district but also the general public is opposing this unilateral decision, the petition adds further.
BJP leader Lanka Dinakar told The Daily Guardian, “It is unfortunate to discuss the change of the college’s name as Sri Grandhi Venkateswara Rao Junior College in place of “Kasturba Govt Junior College” on the day of the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.” On the other hand, recently the MANSAS Trust had appealed to the state government to privatise Maharajah’s Educational Institutions or M R College which is one of the oldest autonomous colleges in the country founded in 1879. MANSAS trust used to be in the hands of the former central minister and TDP senior leader Ashok Gajapati Raju but was recently handed over to his rival Sanchaita Gajapati.
The tussle has been going on since Sanchayata was appointed by Jagan’s government. The trust was set up with an endowed property of over 13,000 acres of land and other properties to provide financial support for the educational institutions under MANSAS Trust.