Machilipatnam: Hindu College properties are ready for sale

Machilipatnam: The Machilipatnam Hindu Colleges, which has over 100 years of exceptional history, are reeling under severe financial loss.

The Hindu college and affiliated education institutions have been paving golden path to the lives of thousands of students across the coastal districts by imparting invaluable education for the past 10 decades.

The college management is in distress as they are not getting fees reimbursement arrears from the government and increasing college maintenance charges like salaries to employees and other bills. Hindu Educational Institutions have to receive about Rs two crores of fee reimbursement arrears from the State government.

Unable to face the financial crisis, the management decided to sell college assets. As part of this, the management recently issued a paper notification to sell 14.95 acres of the college property.

The Hindu College of Machilipatnam has a great history and played a key role in freedom movement also. It was established on 1 January, 1856 by the Hindus as they were belittled by the British-Christian education institutions. The college was constructed by collecting funds by begging. In 1863, it was changed as Hindu High School and became affiliated to Madras University. Since then, the college has expanded into several branches across the State, with several eminent persons having studied here.

The Hindu college has been an Aided college for many years. But, for the past two years, governing body has been organising the college. Machilipatnam former MP Konakalla Narayana Rao, the president of the college, along with the help of the governing body maintains the Hindu institutions. Due to increasing financial burden, the college incurred loss. Now the management is unable to maintain the institutions and pay salaries to employees. In view of this situation, the management got ready to sell 14.95 acres of college lands, located at Pothepalli near Machilipatnam, to meet its expenditure. The market value of the land is above Rs 15 to Rs 30 crores.

Speaking to the Hans India, Hindu College-Schools Societies president and former MP Konakalla Naryana Rao said that they must sell the land to cater the college needs. He informed that they are yet to receive more than Rs two crore of fees reimbursement from the government. "As we are not paying salaries, the staff went to court. The verdict is in their favour. In this critical situation, we have no option unless selling the land. However, this land is not useful for the college," he explained.