IIT to be set up in AP during 11th Plan: YSR

Hyderabad, Dec 19: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S RajasekharaReddy today announced in the state assembly that one of the three IITsproposed to be set up in the country during the 11th Five Year Plan,would be set up in the state.

Making the announcement, Dr Reddy said Union Human ResourceDevelopment Minister Arjun Singh had written to the state government ofthe decision in response to the state's proposal.

He said Mr Singh had requested the state government to identifyand allot 500 to 600 acres of land, free of cost, having physical andsocial infrastructure, including road, rail and air connectivity.

The Chief Minister said the government had initially considered toset up the IIT at Basara in Adilabad district, where an ancientSaraswathi Temple was located. However, the government had chosen Medakdistrict, which was once represented by late Indira Gandhi in the LokSabha as it would satisfy all the requirements stipulated by the HRDMinister.

Dr Reddy said the government proposed to start one Twenty FirstCentury Gurukulam Centre at Basara, to train over 250 rural youth inInformation Technology and related areas. The Centre would awardMasters Degree in Information Technology with National and Globalacceptance.

The Gurukulam Pragramme was conceptulized by Prof Raj Reddy, former consultant to the US President.

Dr Reddy said the government would invest Rs five crore to developa full-fledged Gurukulam Campus in a year and expressed confidence thatthe project would transform the backward Adilabad district into aknowledge hub.

Apart from the Adilabad Medical College, two more colleges wouldalso come up in the state. He also said the government was makingefforts to get sanction for a Horticulture University too.

On behalf of the House, Dr Reddy thanked Prime Minister ManmohanSingh, UPA Chairperson Ms Sonia Gandhi and the Union HRD Minister ArjunSingh for sanctioning the IIT.

UNI