Andhra University a hub for anti-socials: Ganta

Visakhapatnam: HRD minister Ganta Srinivasa Rao was stunned after observing the empty alcohol bottles, debris and uncleaned toilets in the surroundings of Andhra University campus. Expressing anger over the varsity officials, the minister said that the campus has become a hub for anti-social elements.

After the summer vacation, the Andhra University was opened on Monday. On the occasion, Ganta Srinivasa Rao along with Vice Chancellor Prof G Nageswara Rao and Registrar Prof V Umamaheswara Rao conducted a surprise check in the campus.

When the minister visited the Sathavahana hostel block, he observed the whisky bottles at the premises. He called upon the chief warden of the hostel and asked for his explanation.

He came down heavily on the authorities for not cleaning the campus in the summer holidays and warned the officials that stringent action would be initiated, if such incidents repeated in future.

Later, the minister observed a building lying in pathetic condition and asked the authorities to send proposals for construction of new building. He went around the rooms and checked the lighting and fans in the rooms. He also visited the Science College and checked the quality of the food items supplied in the canteen. Later, he had lunch along with Vice Chancellor and students.

Later addressing the media, the minister expressed his deep dissent over the issues in the campus. A master plan would be prepared to develop the campus as a model university with beautiful landscaping and with green cover, the minister said.

A meeting would be convened with all the vice-chancellors and principals of the government colleges to review the education standards, results, sanitation works in the campuses and other works, he added.

Tax Exemptions Earlier, the minister convened a meeting with key officials of the university. In the meeting, the VC said that the property tax, water charges and power charges are being collected from the university considering it as a commercial establishment. He said that the expenditure cost has been increasing number of times with all these charges.

Responding on the issue, the minister also accepted that it was not correct to consider the educational institutions as commercial establishment in collecting the taxes. He stressed the need to give exemption from the taxes to all the government schools, colleges and universities.

From the meeting, the minister called upon the Principal Secretary (Education) to prepare the proposal exempting the government educational institutions from the taxes and submit to the government. He also directed the principal secretary to look into power tariff issue also.

He said the Discoms should not collect power charges considering the power connections of government educational institutions under the commercial category and asked principal secretary to look into the issue immediately.