The pontiffs of Kanchi Mutt are gearing up to cross swords with none other than Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy on a dispute raged over setting up of the Women’s Medical College in Tirupati.

After a complaint from Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanm (TTD) Executive Officer L V Subrahmanya, Kiran Kumar Reddy during his recent visit to Tirupati announced that funds would be released from the State Government for setting up the college and it would function in affiliation with Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences (SVIMS).

The CM's statement triggered controversy as his predecessor K Rosaiah had already allocated 60 acres of land to Kanchi Peeth for setting up the medical college. Kanchi Peeth reportedly declined to hand over the land in its procession.

The proposal to set up the medical college for women in affiliation with SVIMS was made way back in 2005 and the then Chief Minister late Dr Y S Rajasekhar Reddy laid the foundation stone. Administrative buildings have already been constructed and the construction work came to a halt after the demise of YSR. Since the successive governments failed to release funds for completing the construction, The Kanchi Peeth Pontiff Jayendra Saraswati has come forward to set up the college during Rosaiah’s regime. Rosaiah government had handed over 60 acres of land in the vicinity of Tirupati for the purpose. Later, Kanchi Mutt continued the construction work.

Last week, Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy visited Tirupati as part of his two-day sojourn. TTD EO Subrahmanyam and SVIMS director Vengamma brought to the notice of the CM that college management has changed hands and a medical institution from Tamil Nadu took over its reigns. Immediately, Kiran Reddy announced that the government would release funds and ordered the official concerned to take back the land (60 acres) from the Kanchi Mutt. Pontiffs of Kanchi Peeth from the main headquarters in Kanchi (Tamil Nadu) raised strong objection over CM’s announcement. The Mutt authorities are upping the ante against the CM for taking a sudden decision without even consulting them. They pointed out that the mutt had spent crores of rupees on the college and it was not appropriate for the government to take over the college from the mutt.

-Sakshipost