Minister Nara Lokesh announced that the vigilance investigation into the corruption and irregularities that took place during the tenure of former Vice Chancellor Prasada Reddy at Andhra University will be conducted and it will be completed within 60 days and strict action will be taken.
Lokesh, responding to the questions raised by MLAs Palla Srinivas, Velagapudi Ramakrishna, Ganababu, Vishnu Kumar Raju and Konathala Ramakrishna on the corruption and irregularities of former AU VC Prasada Reddy, said that when former CM Jaganmohan Reddy came to Visakhapatnam, he used to bring children to welcome him and criticized him for misusing RUSA grants and ISRO grants.
He said that former VC Prasada Reddy campaigned in favor of the ruling party and a complaint was received that the rules were violated in the expenditure of Rs 25 lakh received from ISRO. The minister said that corruption, misuse of power and use of students for political activities have come to his attention.
He warned that no one will be spared for their irregularities and the government will take strict measures to make them afraid of making mistakes again. He announced that the educational standards in Andhra University will be raised and the past glory will be brought back.
Minister Lokesh said that Andhra University is a sentiment for everyone, the Chairman of Bank of America and the Head of GMR are AU graduates, and CM Chandrababu Naidu wanted AU to be in the top 100 in the world. He said that IIT Kharagpur Professor Rajasekhar was appointed as the VC with the intention of AU being at the top.
He said that the situation there is only now getting in the way. He said that his policy is that universities should work for the development of education without getting involved in politics. TDP state president Palla Srinivasa Rao earlier deplored that no action has been taken so far regarding the allegations against former AU VC Prasad Reddy.
MLA Velagapudi Ramakrishna Babu accused that Prasad Reddy turned the historic Andhra University into a YSRCP office, and that the graduate MLC elections and municipal corporation elections were all held in AU without any money bags.