A.P. gets AIIMS and IIT, no IIM

Identification of location likely to give tough time to Government

July 10, 2014 11:39 pm | Updated November 17, 2021 03:49 am IST - HYDERABAD:

Fulfilling the assurances in the AP Reorganisation Act, the Central government has selected Andhra Pradesh for setting up premier institutions including an All India Institute of Medical Sciences and an Indian Institute of Technology here.

Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, in his maiden budget speech, outlined the priorities of the NDA government announced that an IIT, AIIMS and an agriculture university will be set up in the State. “I propose to set aside a sum of Rs. 500 crore for this,” the Finance Minister said.

He said the Centre intended to set up five more IITs, including one in Andhra Pradesh, and a sum of Rs. 500 crore would be allocated. In addition, the National Academy for Customs and Excise would be set up at Hindupur in Anantapur district. The assurance made in the budget speech comes as part fulfilment of the promises as the State’s name did not figure in the list of locations for setting up of Indian Institutions of Management.

The announcement is sure to land the N. Chandrababu Naidu led government in a piquant situation amid claims by a section of Ministers and senior TDP leaders over locating the institutions of excellence in the districts of their choice. Ministers and senior leaders are looking at the increasing investment opportunities that could give boost to their respective locations.

The new government has begun the exercise to identify land required for these institutions and it has zeroed in on three circuits for locating the institutions - Tirupati, Krishna-Guntur region and Visakhaptanam. According to sources, the government was considering location of the AIIMS in Krishna-Guntur region while the Centre itself had selected Hindupur to house the National Academy for Customs and Excise.

But, it will be a tough time to take a call on locating the IIT as there are competing claims from Visakhapatnam and Tirupati. Selecting either of the two cities for locating the IIT is complicated further as Tirupati and Visakhapatnam have already been identified for setting up electronic clusters as part of the State government’s policy to give fillip to IT sector in the new State.

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