YSRCP Rajya Sabha MP on Tuesday appealed to the central government to set up a IIIT campus in the port city.

Addressing the Rajya Sabha, the MP stated Visakhapatnam meets most of the parameters to set up an IIIT campus. He was speaking on the passage of the Indian Institutes of Information Technology Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2020 in the upper house by Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank.

He informed the Education Minister that already an IIIT campus was established in Chittoor Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model to grant degrees and get statutory status. Vijayasai Reddy said since the capital of Andhra Pradesh would be shifted from Amaravati to Visakhapatnam, the port city will be an ideal place to establish a IIIT campus.

He also informed the education minister that the temporary campus of the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) is currently being run at Andhra Bank School of Business Building in Andhra University premises. The Rajya Sabha MP appealed to the education minister to build a special and permanent campus for the existing IIM institute in Vizag.

Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party Rajya Sabha MP Vijaysai Reddy on Tuesday demanded that the Union government constitute a Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) bench in the port city. Participating in debate during the Zero Hour in the Rajya Sabha, Vijaysai Reddy said setting up of CAT bench in Viskahapatnam has become a dire necessity as the Central government employees were forced to travel to Hyderabad to resolve disputes.

He said the CAT was established under Article 323(A) of the Constitution for adjudication of disputes and complaints with respect to recruitment and conditions of service of persons appointed to public services and posts under the Union government. He informed the house that all metro cities and most state capitals have a CAT bench, which deals with disputes related to salaries, promotions, pension issues, and arrears.

He said AP has over 50,000 central government employees (both retired and in service), with over 60 percent residing in Visakhapatnam. He stated that thousands of employees are employed in various public sector companies such as Steel Plant, Shipyard, Customs, Port, Dredging Corporation, Railways, Airport, HPCL and LIC. Currently, the central government employees are forced to travel to Hyderabad for dispute redresal. He informed the House that setting up of a CAT bench was essential since Andhra Pradesh has been bifurcated.

YCP firebrand MP Vijayasai Reddy has recovered from Coronavirus infection and relaunched his attacks on the Opposition with redoubled vigour. His immediate task is to direct his attacks on the Amaravati issue. He fully defended CM Jagan Reddy’s review of the Amaravati Metropolitan Region Development Authority (AMRDA).

What more, Vijayasai clarifies to one and all that the CM’s fresh efforts would bring in even greater development and prosperity than that promised by the previous Chandrababu Naidu government in Amaravati Capital region area. The 3 Capitals decision would not cause any harm to Amaravati residents. Nothing wrong in CM Jagan in reviewing AMRDA activities.

Vijayasai Reddy has asked the people to carefully go through the details of the CM review. They would be able to realise the good things that would happen to Amaravati because of AMRDA activities. No injustice would be done to the farmers who gave their ancestral lands for the construction of Amaravati Capital.

At the same time, Vijayasai Reddy gave a big twist, saying that the Government would not give any guarantee to the real estate brokers who bought lands in Amaravati region. Analysts say that the YCP top leaders were continuing the same aggressive stand to strike fear in the hearts of pro-Amaravati agitators and gain a psychological advantage through issues like AMRDA. In the real battle in the courts, the Government is on the losing edge. Time will tell whether the CM will overcome the legal battles or not.