Opposition lays siege to MLA's house on IIT at Basara

Adilabad, Andhra Pradesh, Jan 16 (UNI) Leaders of TDP, TRS, CPI(M) . CPI. and BJP parties today laid siege to the house of Congress MLA Rama Chandra Reddy demanding the proposed IIT be shifted to Basara in Adilabad District from Medak District, as promised earlier.

They sat at the house of the MLA in Shanti Nagar and raised slogans demanding the IIT should be established in Basara and not Medak, as announced by Chief Minister.

Mr Reddy told the agitators he would support their demand and try to prevail upon the government to establish the IIT in Basara.

The Andhra Pradesh Assembly had thrice passed a resolution and sent it to the Centre demanding the IIT be established at Basara.

One of the resolutions was passed after Congress came to power.

However, the Centre, while stipulating some conditions, said the state government should provide 300 to 500 acre of land free of cost with infrastructure, rail and air connectivity.

As Basara is situated in the interior forest area and had no air connectivity, Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy recently announced in the Assembly the government was constrained to select Sangareddy, which was only 30 km away from Hyderabad.

As an international airport was coming up, faculty from abroad could visit the IIT frequenty.

As a consolation to the people of Adilabad District, the Chief Minister announced that the government would be establishing a 'Twenty First Century Gurukul Vidyalaya' at Basara at a cost of Rs five crore to improve the educational standards of the people of the backward region.

UNI