Leaders of various of parties of the Opposition, led by the TDP, have decided to take up a signature campaign on Tuesday and conduct meetings in all nine Assembly constituencies of Vizianagaram district to protect MANSAS Trust and Maharaja Educational Institutions which have been providing education at an affordable fee structure.
For the first time, TDP senior leaders like MLCs Dwarapureddi Jagadish and Gummadi Sandhya Rani took the initiative over the MANSAS Trust which has become a burning issue in the State with the proposed privatisation of MR College which is being run the trust.
Former Union Minister and TDP senior leader P. Ashok Gajapathi Raju was removed from the trust which controls more than 12 educational institutions and properties worth ₹50,000 crore.
The government appointed former MP Pusapati Anada Gajapathi Raju’s daughter Sanchaita Gajapathi Raju as the chairperson of the trust which recently mooted privatisation of MR College, leading to widespread protests in the district.
Round-table
In this background, ‘Save Mansa-Save Education’ round-table conference was organised where Mr. Jagadish and Ms. Sandhya Rani alleged that the YSR Congress government was interfering in the trust to grab its properties and weaken Ashok Gajapathi family politically.
They urged people to join hands and express their views in the month-long agitational programme. Member of Legislative Assembly Pakalapati Raghuvarma and Lok Satta Party State executive president Bhisetti Babji said that stalling admission process in MR College deprives the students of poor and middle class sections of pursuing higher education.
Party parliamentary in-charge Kimidi Nagarjuna lauded the active participation of many organisations in the struggle for the protection of MR College.
Aam Admi Party leader K. Dayanand felt that there should not be any political involvement in MANSAS affairs since the trust was created to ensure overall development of the North Andhra region.
