The Andhra Pradesh Government’s decision to set up an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Medak is facing stiff resistance from other districts. The Basara IIT Sadana Samiti, which has been demanding that the institution be set up at Basara in Adilabad, announced that its leaders would go on an indefinite hunger strike from March 24 to oppose the decision.The Samiti, also known as the Joint Action Committee, is being supported by Telugu Desam chief N Chandrababu Naidu. The TDP’s former Union minister S Venugopala Chary and Asifabad MLA Sridevi have also promised to go on “a continous hunger strike till our demands are met”. They will be accompanied by student unions from Adilabad and Nizamabad, voluntary organisations and leaders from the Telangana Rashtra Samiti, BJP, CPI and CPM.While Chary and Sridevi have promised to strike continuously, representatives of other parties will be on a relay hunger strike.Chary said, “The original plan was to set up the institution in Basara, as it will benefit a lot more people there. Chief Minister YSR changed the plan himself.”Chary said when Naidu was in power, the Centre had sent a team to the state to find a suitable site for an IIT. The team had decided on Basara, he said. “It is accessible to Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh. Also, because of its location in Basara, it will help the Backward Classes,” he said.Chary said the AP Government had even identified 1,095 acres of land for the institution and passed a government order stating that farmers should not sell this land as an IIT was to come up here.
