GITAM University Lands Regularised Amid Chaos in Visakhapatnam Council
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In a contentious move, the Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation approved the regularisation of 54.79 acres of land occupied by GITAM University, sparking intense protests from opposition parties. The Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) council passed the resolution on Friday, amidst allegations of irregularities linked to the disputed lands. The land in question is valued at ₹5,000 crore and has been a point of contention between the ruling Telugu Desam Party and the opposition YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) and Communist Party of India (Marxist). YSRCP corporators staged a sit-in protest in front of the Mayor's podium, disrupting proceedings and raising slogans against the move. The situation escalated into a confrontation between ruling and opposition corporators, resulting in chaos and injuries. YSRCP corporator Lakshman Rao suffered a leg injury during the scuffle. Senior YSRCP leader Botsa Satyanarayana alleged that Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and his family members were involved in land encroachments in Visakhapatnam. The opposition has vowed to continue their agitation until the decision is withdrawn. Visakhapatnam Mayor Pilla Srinivasa Rao accused YSRCP members of attempting to attack him during the council session, leading to the suspension of several members involved. The mayor maintained that the GVMC council had not committed any wrongdoing in the matter and urged opposition corporators to focus on issues rather than targeting individuals.
