Dear
@ysjagan garu,
Over the last few days YSRCP party, its leaders, your media organizations have been spewing lies and venom on Gitam and me. But it’s sad to see a former chief minister post such factually incorrect and inflammatory statements. While I do not expect help from YSRCP, I hoped that after the illegal demolition of our boundary wall in 2020 by YCP govt during Dussehra break in the middle of the night of a public holiday, sense would prevail about the university. Let me respond with facts -
Claim 1 - 54.79 acres currently proposed for alienation to Gitam is worth Rs. 5000 crore.
Response A - The hill abutting Gitam Rushikonda campus had 35 acres of land in Rajiv Swagruha housing, a project meant for low and middle income housing. In the YSRCP govt, it was converted to mixed use from residential with purported nefarious intentions. Post conversion, the land was plotted into smaller pieces of 1000 sq yards to 3000 sq yards and sold off in auction. Between 2022 and 2024, as recently as May 2024, the lands were sold at merely the reserve price of 60-65,000 per sq yard. Since plotting yields about 3000 sq yards per acre - this would mean 1 acre costs Rs 65,000 * 3000 yards = 19.5 crores. So the total 54.79 acres should be worth around Rs 1000 crores.
I agree that in the last year and a half, in leadership of Honble CM
@ncbn garu, there has been significant development and growth in Vizag. But if you’re trying to say that land value has increased by 5 times in this NDA govt, there cannot be a bigger endorsement for the growth of Andhra Pradesh & Vizag in such a short time. Please decide your stance.
Response B - Was it not your government that gave around 11 acres to an international school TISB less than 1km from Gitam campus at a rate of 1 crore per acre in 2023? If land value is truly 100 crores per acre, what justified you to give the land at such a low price. There are many more such examples in Vizag and in the state, but I included only one for the comparison.
Regardless, I welcomed that decision, as if a good international school comes up in that area - it will serve all the children of new IT employees and others that are going to be moving into Vizag in our govt. Sadly, it has been about three years and there isn’t a single construction activity in that land. Why isn’t anyone in YSRCP saying anything? As per your calculations, why did you give away land worth Rs 1,100 crores at only Rs 11 crores to an international school with high fees?
Claim 2 - Lands recovered and fenced by YCP government are being gifted free of cost.
Response - I’m sure you are aware that the GVMC NoC that was issued has no role in deciding the price of the land nor is it the government order allotting land. The file has to go to CCLA & the Cabinet before the allotment decision on how much land and price to allott is taken.
Gitam has historically maintained since close to 20 years that we are ready to pay the price that the government decides to allot. We are not asking anything for free. I’m sure you are aware of this sir, but you are lying to the people. Being in politics, I know that there is extra scrutiny on any organization that I’m associated with. Hence I request, if you’re not able to help, I understand. But please don’t viciously attack organizations that are serving society in so many different ways.
During COVID waves, it was YSRCP govt that had so much faith in our Gitam hospital (GIMSR) that it made us the district Covid hospital to treat all primary COVID cases. Over the two waves we cared for over 3000 patients. If all Gitam is a “real estate business” why did the YSRCP govt trust our hospital over every other hospital in the district to care for patients during the COVID pandemic?
@ncbn @naralokesh @PawanKalyan @GITAMUniversity