Acquisition of 50 acres of research station for Nandyal medical college opposed

KURNOOL: AP cabinet’s decision to alienate 50 acres of land belonging to Regional Agriculture Research Station (RARS) at Nandyal for established the proposed medical college in the town has alienated both farmers and the scientific community.

There are allegations that real estate developers, including politicians from YSRCP government, have sinister designs when it comes to lands around the institute. Speculation is rife that once Nandyal is made the district headquarter and a medical college comes up there, real estate prices of the town will go up. Dealers in real estate, including politicians, will then be able to make a killing. The district collector has already given his nod for alienation of 50 acres from the agriculture research station’s land.

The Regional Agriculture Research Station at Nandyal, the headquarters of Scarce Rainfall Zone, is located on fertile lands. Scientists and farmers have pointed out that RARS is doing pioneering work in developing high-yielding varieties of seeds that improve productivity of the farming community. Nandyal station is considered the oldest agricultural research station in Andhra Pradesh as well as the country. It mainly works on improvement of cotton and sorghum crops. In 1950s, the station became headquarters of State Cotton Specialist. Thereafter, it was designated as Cotton Research Station in the year 1954.

Bojja Dasarath Reddy, President of Rayalaseema Saguneetti Sadhana Samithi (RSSS), has vehemently opposed the move to locate the medical college on the land belonging to the research station. He pointed out that it is the only centre that is sustaining farmer's community in the entire Rayalaseema area. He urged the state government to drop the plans for acquiring lands of RARS.

Nandyal MLA Sila Ravichandra Kishore Reddy, when contacted, said Nandyal has been allotted a new medical college and administration is scouting for lands.
RARS director Sampath Kumar said advanced research is going on at the station all of whose projects are funded by the Indian Agriculture Research Institute, New Delhi. The pioneering research at the station involves chickpea, rice, tobacco, millets and so on.

Narasimlu, a local leader, said MP Pocha Bramhananda Reddy has lands around RARS. He could have offered his lands and helped development of Nandyal. “But how can just a medical college, help develop the town,” he asked. He reminded that when an Agriculture College was sanctioned for AP in 1990s by former prime minister P. V. Narasimha Rao, there was a move to locate the same at the RARS campus.

Heeding to requests of scientists and farmers to let RARS continue its pioneering work, the college was shifted to Mahanandi, Narasimlu added.