Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman lays stone for IRS academy building
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, State Finance Minister Buggana Rajendranath Reddy and MP Gorantla Madhav having a glimpse at the map of the Customs Academy complex during the foundation-laying ceremony at Palasamudram village in Anantapur district on Saturday
Anantapur: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has promised to complete the infrastructure and buildings of the National Academy of Customs, Indirect Taxes and Narcotics (NACITN) by 2024.
Participating in the stone-laying ceremony of the buildings project at Palasamudram village in the district, 100 km from here, on Saturday, Sitharaman said that the Academy would be established on a par with international standards.
In the first phase, an amount of Rs729 crore will be spent on creation of necessary infrastructure facilities. This amount will be released in the 2022-23 financial year. The Academy was promised to AP state in 2014 at the time of bifurcation. It was also reiterated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during electioneering.
In 2015 April, the foundation stone was laid by the then Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley for the setting up of NACITN. The academy would come up in about 500 acres. The works are now being put on fast-track. Just as IAS personnel are trained in Mussoorie in Uttarakhand and IPS personnel at National Police Academy in Hyderabad, Palasamudram will be the centre for training probationary IRS candidates in the country, Sitharaman said.
The Academy would have state of-the -art facilities and on a par with international standards. It will start its first batch by September 2023. By 2024, the centre will be full-fledged in terms of infrastructure.
Sitharaman expressed her thanks to farmers for giving their precious lands for the project. She promised to ensure the Academy does not suffer for want of funds. Its presence will trigger development in Palasamudram and Hindupur region. She also thanked the AP government for extending its fullest cooperation for the project.
The Union Finance Minister reiterated that the centre would extend full cooperation to the state government for the development of state. She said Prime Minister Narendra Modi is always willing to meet Chief Minister or any minister from AP anytime for the cause of the state.
Earlier, she arrived here by road from Bengaluru around 1 pm and was welcomed by Finance Minister Buggana Rajendranath and district in-charge minister M Sankara Narayana and District Collector Nagalakshmi Selvarajan and SP Fakirappa.