By IANS
Hyderabad : The work on Rs.1.5 billion International Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) on the 150-acre sprawling area at the temple town of Basar in Andhra Pradesh began Saturday.
Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy laid the foundation stone for the institute in Adilabad district, about 300 km from here.
The IIIT will admit students from the academic year 2008-09.
The prestigious Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) was to come up in the town famous for Saraswati temple but in December 2006 its the location was shifted to Isnapur in Medak district. And Basar was chosen for the IIIT.
The state government move had triggered massive protests by the main opposition Telugu Desam Party, some NGOs and educationists in north Telangana districts.
Barring the ruling Congress, all other parties had also formed a struggle committee. People’s representatives in neighbouring Maharashtra had also staged the protest demanding an IIT at Basar.
Addressing a public meeting after laying the foundation stone for the IIIT, the chief minister recalled that as the then leader of the opposition, he had fought for IIT at Basar but the conditions stipulated to set up the prestigious IIT forced the government to opt for Medak district.
“One of the requirements of IIT is that it should be close to an international airport. Since there is no airport near Basar, we had no option but to choose Medak district,” he said, pointing out that the location was 100 km from the new international airport coming at Shamshabad near Hyderabad.
He said it was to compensate the loss that the government decided to set up IIIT at Basar on the lines of IIIT, Hyderabad. The government plans to set up two more IIITs in Idupulapaya of Kadapa district and Nuzvid in Krishna district.
The chief minister announced a grant of Rs.300 million for development of Adilabad as a model district. He said a medical college would also be set up in the district.
The central government had sanctioned the eighth IIT for Andhra Pradesh in December 2006. The state government decided to locate it in Isnapur.
The seven IITs are in Mumbai, New Delhi, Kharagpur, Roorkee, Guwahati, Kanpur and Chennai.