Amid protests, foundation stone laid for Nandyal medical college

An interim stay order was issued by the High Court

May 31, 2021 11:12 pm | Updated 11:12 pm IST - KURNOOL

Minister for Labour Gummanur Jayaram, in-charge Collector S. Ramsundar Reddy, and other officials participating in the foundation-laying ceremony for a new medical college at Adoni on Monday.

Minister for Labour Gummanur Jayaram, in-charge Collector S. Ramsundar Reddy, and other officials participating in the foundation-laying ceremony for a new medical college at Adoni on Monday.

Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy virtually laid the foundation stone for the Nandyal government medical college on Monday, amid stiff resistance from the local farming community as well as a stay order from the High Court.

The project had attracted controversy after the government announced that it would be built on 50 acres of land belonging to the 115-year-old Regional Agriculture Research Station (RARS) in Nandyal. The local farming community urged the government not to use RARS land, as the institute served as a seed production station for several varieties of agriculture crops.

The matter subsequently reached the High Court, which issued an interim stay order on the construction of the medical college on RARS land. Honouring the High Court order, the government laid the foundation stone for the project on the premises of the Nandyal government hospital. However, the project will still come up on the RARS land unless the High Court issues a final order to the contrary.

Nandyal MP Pocha Brahmananda Reddy, MLC Gangula Prabhakar Reddy, Panyam MLA Katasani Rambhupal Reddy, Allagadda MLA Jitendra Reddy, Nandyal MLA Silpa Ravi Chandra Kishore Reddy, Joint Collector Manzeer Jeelani, and Nandyal Sub-Collector Kalpana Kumari attended the simple ceremony organised to mark the event.

Protests held

People protested from their homes on a call given by the Rayalaseema Saagu Neeti Sadhana Samithi, displaying placards and urging the State government to honour the sentiments of the farming community by not using the RARS land and identifying an alternative location for the medical college.

“Developing such a research station and land at an alternative location will take more than 10 years, whereas 25 to 30 acres of land can be acquired anywhere around Nandyal by spending ₹50 crore as has been done for the proposed Adoni Medical College,” said Samithi president Dasaratharami Reddy.

College for backward area

The foundation stone for the Adoni medical college and teaching hospital was also laid by the Chief Minister on Monday. “Adoni is one of the most backward areas of Andhra Pradesh, and setting up a teaching super-specialty hospital along with a nursing college will go a long way towards improving the health infrastructure in the region,” said Labour Minister Gummanur Jayaram.

After the Chief Minister remotely laid the foundation stone for the ₹475-crore medical college along NH-167 between Adoni and Yemmiganur, the Labour Minister unveiled the pylon for the medical college, and said that the college would come up in 58.44 acres and serve areas like Mantralayam, Aluru, Pattikonda, and Yemmiganur that were far-off from any major health facility.

District In-charge Collector S. Ramsundar Reddy, along with Yemmiganur MLA Chennakeshava Reddy, Adoni Municipal Chairperson Shantamma, Adoni RDO Ramakrishna Reddy, and others were present at the function. Later, the Minister and MLAs honoured all the 16 persons who had parted with their land for the medical college at Adoni.

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