Student activists stage protest against shifting of IIIT from Ongole

Student activists protest in Ongole against IIIT relocation, citing water crisis and lack of government response to their demands.

Several activists of the Andhra Pradesh Students and Youth Joint Action Committee (JAC) staged a protest at the statue of freedom fighter Tanguturi Prakasam Pantulu on the occasion of Prakasam district Formation Day, in Ongole on Monday.

They demanded the government not to shift the IIIT from the temporary building in Ongole to a new campus at Ballipalli village of Kanigiri mandal in the district, citing drinking water crisis and other issues. They have been urging the State government to retain the same campus.

“Prakasam district is a backward region and there has been no development. The IIIT was established in Ongole in 2016, but the politicians are trying to shift 6,000 students to another area for their selfish reasons,” alleged JAC leader Rayapati Jagadish.

“The police have been unfairly harassing the 50 students who were protesting at IIIT campus from the last one week. They are terrorising the students by checking their mobile phones,” he alleged, demanding the police to immediately leave the campus.

The JAC leader further alleged, “If the IIIT continues in Ongole, it will lead to development, but the local politicians are trying to shift it for their selfish interests and for the benefit of the real estate developers. We will make this a State-level movement if our demands are not fulfilled.”

Kommu Rajiv, another student leader, said that it was very sad that there has been no response from the government or Education Minister Nara Lokesh despite the ongoing protests on the IIIT campus for the past six days.