State Division: New Edn Institutions to be Started in Temporary Buildings

by VV Balakrishna
Hyderabad: Educational institutions proposed in the AP Reorganisation Act will be started in temporary buildings for the time being in both the successor States of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, till new buildings were constructed.
Union Home Secretary Anil Goswami, who had a through overview of the Reorganisation Act on Monday, wanted the State officials to examine temporary buildings for the institutions proposed in the Act, under Higher Education Department.
Anil Goswami reviewed the progress of division of the state and other aspects of the Act with Chief Secretary PK Mohanty and other senior officials at the Secretariat.
Official sources told Express that the Union Home Secretary expressed satisfaction over the progress of the division work. What Anil Goswami reviewed is as follows:
HIGHER EDUCATION: Goswami wanted the officials to find suitable lands for the institutions proposed under the Act. Till permanent buildings are constructed, the institutions can be started in temporary buildings, like the IIT started in Medak district.
The government mentioned in the Act that one IIT, one NIT, one IIM, one IISER, one Central University, one Petroleum University, one Agricultural University and one IIIT, one AIIMS type Super Speciality Hospital-cum-Teaching Institution and a National Institute of Disaster Management will be started in residuary Andhra Pradesh.
The Centre will also establish one Tribal University each in both AP and Telangana, and a Horticulture University in Telangana.
POLAVARAM: An Ordinance will be issued by the Centre soon to merge around 200 villages in Khammam district with residuary AP. These will be submerged under Polavaram major irrigation project. The constitution of Godavari and Krishna river boards is under the process.
AIRPORTS: Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada and Tirupati airports will be expanded to international standards. The State should send the proposals to the Centre. The Home Secretary will take up the matter with the Civil Aviation Minister.
METRO RAIL: The Metro Rail projects proposed for Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada-Guntur-Tenali are put on hold temporarily, as the new capital for residuary AP has to be identified and a Metro Rail project is also needed there.
CORPORATIONS: The corporations and companies listed in Schedule 9 and 10 of the Act will be divided soon. The powers to divide these institutions will be delegated to regional officials of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs in Hyderabad so that the work will be completed quickly. Now, the powers are vested with the Centre.
STAFF DIVISION: The division of the State-cadre employees is in the process and the Centre will soon  take a final call. When the officials brought to the notice of Goswami that there was no clarity in the Act on commercial taxes liability, he said the matter will be examined and it would be taken up with the authorities concerned.
Meanwhile, Anil Goswami will stay in the city on Tuesday too. Those interested, including representatives of employees associations and others, can meet him in Lake View guest house, officials said. Goswami is likely to  visit the Secretariat on Tuesday and examine the buildings, especially H South Block allotted to AP Chief Minister.