Prakash Javadekar, Union human Resource Development Minister held a special meeting with professors of IIT-Tirupati, IISER, Padmavathi Mahila Viswavidyalayam, SV University and IIT-Madras on the IIT premises.

There he objected to Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan terming the special assistance measure as “rotten laddus”. Mr. Javadekar said, "the NDA government at the Centre was treating AP as a VIP state."

Speaking to newspersons at IIT-Tirupati, he said "the Centre has granted special package for AP despite objections from other states. We respect Pawan Kalyan. He campaigned for us during the elections. But his comments on Union minister M. Venkaiah Naidu are not in good taste. Mr. Venkaiah Naidu is striving hard to help in the development of the state. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given more funds than what he promised to the state."

Mr. Javadekar referring to the YSRC demand on the special status and its allegations against the NDA government, he said "the party has no moral right to comment on the Centre. The Union government had given Rs 2,500 crore for the construction of the capital Amaravati and the remaining Rs 1,000 crore would be sanctioned as per the requirement."

The minister added that "the Centre had already granted more funds after the demand of the Opposition parties for special status. There are some benefits which would come through special status."

“No state has got these many Central educational institutions. AP got 11 such institutions and nine have started functioning. A coastal research university will come up in Nellore district. Similarly, a tribal university in Vizianagaram district and Central University in Anantapur district will be established in near future for which about Rs 10,000 crore is needed. We will construct all the buildings at the earliest,” Mr. Javadekar said. He stated that an action plan was being prepared to complete the Polavaram project by 2018.

He said that "on the advice of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the HRD ministry was bringing reforms in the education sector to develop the country as Digital India and Make in India. He asked the professors to conduct elaborate research in technology and assured that the ministry providing infrastructure to the institutions. He stated that professors vacancies would be filled in universities."

IIT, Madras director Bhaskar Ramamurthy, former in charge IIT-Tirupati Prof K.N. Satyanarayana, IISER director Prof V. Suryaprakash Rao, SV University rector Prof M. Bhaskar, Padmavathi Mahila Viswavidyalayam vice-chancellor Prof. V. Durgabhavani, registrar Prof. P. Vijayalakshmi and others participated.

Also Read: Pawan Kalyan fiery speech on special status for Andhra Pradesh

BY M. DIVYA SRI