As the regularisation of 54.79 acres of government land by Gitam University in Visakhapatnam continues to kick up a massive political controversy, Telugu Desam Party MP from Visakhapatnam and GITAM University chairman M Sri Bharat said he would not take the land free of cost, but would pay the charges fixed by the state government.
Bharat took strong exception to the comments made by YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) president and former chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy regarding the controversial land allocation issue linked to the university.
Bharat said it was “deeply unfortunate” that Jagan was allegedly attempting to mislead the public through remarks posted on social media platform X about the university’s land requirements.
He alleged that for the past few days, YSRCP leaders and sections of their affiliated media have been spreading “falsehoods and poisonous propaganda” targeting him personally and the university.
He specifically rejected the claim that the proposed land parcel of 54.79 acres earmarked for GITAM was worth nearly Rs 5,000 crore, calling the valuation baseless.
Providing background, Bharat noted that the land in question lies in a hilly region close to the university campus and was originally part of the Rajiv Swagruha Housing Project, intended for middle-class beneficiaries at subsidised rates.
He pointed out that during the YSRCP regime, the land use classification was changed from residential to “mixed-use”, after which plots were divided and auctioned.
According to him, between 2022 and 2024, the plots were sold at around Rs 60,000– Rs 65,000 per square yard, placing the per-acre value at approximately Rs 20 crore.
“Based on this calculation, the total market worth of the 54.79 acres would not exceed Rs 1,000 crore, far below the figure being circulated by opposition leaders,” he said.
Responding to allegations that fenced land acquired earlier was now being “handed over for free,” Sribharat asserted that GITAM has never demanded land without payment.
He reiterated that the university is prepared to pay whatever price is determined by the government and clarified that the institution has not sought any special concessions.
Highlighting the university’s contribution, Bharat said GITAM has educated over one lakh students and continues to play a critical role in developing skilled manpower and entrepreneurs for Visakhapatnam’s growing IT and innovation ecosystem.
He warned that irresponsible and provocative political attacks on an educational institution serving society were unwarranted and urged Jagan to reconsider his remarks.