After the privatization of MR College, run by the MANASAS Trust in 1869, another controversial move has kicked up a fresh row. The move to change the name of ‘Kasturba Govt Junior College’ to hich is all after Granthi Venkateshwara Rao’ who is the father of ruling YSRCP MLA Srinivas Granthi has stirred up the Hornet’s nest in Bheemavaram.
The Andhra Pradesh government has issued an order renaming the college replacing Kasturba to Granthi Venkateshwara Rao. Locals and the alumni are planning to protest in “Gandhian” way demanding that the YSRCP government cancel the order renaming the college.
The locals and the alumni of the college stated that Murthy Raju named the educational institutions after freedom fighter Kasturba Gandhi. Bheemavaram MLA Granthi Srinivas contended that tge family is within its right to change the name of the college as it has donated land to save it from being shifted to another place.
Recently, the MANSAS Trust had appealed to the state government to privatize Maharajah’s Educational Institutions or M R College which is one of the oldest autonomous colleges in the country. The institution was founded by Pusapati Vijaya Rama Gajapathi Raj-III, the then Maharajh of Vijayanagaram princely state, in 1879. MANSAS was formed as a society in 1958 by PVG Raju in the name of his father to promote the cause of education and continue to administer the educational institutions under the patronage of their family. The trust was set up with an endowed property of over 13,000 acres and other properties to provide financial support for the educational institutions under MANSAS. MANSAS Trust, whose chairperson is Sanchaita Gajapati Raju and daughter of Uma Gajapati Raju, estranged wife of late Ananda Gajapati Raju, has appealed to the state government to privatise MR College which runs Intermediate and Degree courses. The Higher Education Committee Special Commissioner has directed the Regional Joint Director of Education to look into the appeal. The MANSAS trust appeal to privatize MR College has pushed the teaching staff into deep anguish and anxiety. Anand Gajapati Raju and Ashok Gajapati Raju were founding members of the MANSAS trust board. However, Sanchaita Gajapati Raju replaced her uncle and former Union minister Ashok Gajapati Raju, who has been heading both MANSAS and Simhachalam trust board since the demise of his brother Ananda Gajapati Raju. He was removed from the MANSAS trust board chairman and Sanchaita Gajapathi Raju was appointed in the post by the Jagan government.
