Vizag MP M Sribharat Counters Former CM Jagan's Allegations on Gitam University Land Deal
Visakhapatnam MP M Sribharat has issued a strong rebuttal to a recent social media post by former chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy concerning the regularization and alienation of 55 acres of land to Gitam Deemed to be University in Visakhapatnam. The MP, whose family operates the university, labeled the former chief minister's statements as part of a "campaign of misinformation" and expressed deep disappointment over what he called "factually incorrect and inflammatory statements" from a former high-ranking official.
Disputing the Land Valuation Claims
Sribharat categorically rejected claims that the 54.79 acres proposed for alienation to Gitam University were worth Rs 5,000 crore. He provided a detailed breakdown of the land's history and current valuation, explaining that the property adjoining the university's Rushikonda campus was originally part of the Rajiv Swagruha housing project, designed for low- and middle-income housing.
During the tenure of the YSRCP government, the land use was converted to mixed use, after which it was divided into smaller plots ranging from 1,000 to 3,000 square yards and auctioned. Between 2022 and 2024, including as recently as May 2024, these plots were sold at reserve prices of Rs 60,000 to Rs 65,000 per square yard.
"Given that plotting typically yields around 3,000 square yards per acre, this translates to an estimated value of approximately Rs 19.5 crore per acre," Sribharat explained. "The total value of 54.79 acres comes to around Rs 1,000 crore, not Rs 5,000 crore as claimed."
Pointing Out Inconsistencies in Previous Land Allotments
The MP further highlighted what he called inconsistencies in the previous government's land allocation policies. He pointed out that the YSRCP government had allotted around 11 acres of land to an international school, TISB, located less than a kilometre from the Gitam campus, at just Rs 1 crore per acre in 2023.
"If land values are indeed Rs 100 crore per acre as some claim, it raises serious questions about why land purportedly worth Rs 1,100 crore was allotted for just Rs 11 crore," Sribharat questioned. "Why was there no public debate on this matter during the previous administration?"
The MP's detailed response comes amid growing controversy over land allocations in Visakhapatnam's educational sector, with the Gitam University case becoming a focal point of political debate between current and former administrations.
