Warangal: Demand for installing Etikala's statue at NITW

Warangal: A demand to install the statue of former two-time Lok Sabha member Etikala Madhusudhan Rao has come up before the administration of the National Institute of Technology, Warangal, (NITW) here on Wednesday.

The NITW SC, ST Employees Welfare Association leaders paid floral tributes to Etikala, who was instrumental in setting up Regional Engineering College (REC) that later upgraded to NITW, on his 57th death anniversary. The leaders urged the Chairman, Board of Governors & Director, NITW to install the statue of Etikala at the main gate of the institute. M Sanjeeva, assistant senior grade (I), Chemical Engineering Department, said that due to the endeavours of Etikala, the government established REC in Warangal with the then Prime Minister Pt Jawaharlal Nehru laying the foundation stone on October 10, 1959.

Stating that the administration had already agreed to rename the auditorium as Etikala Memorial Auditorium, he emphasised the need for conducting birth and death anniversaries officially at the NITW. He also urged the administration to introduce a prize award every year to the students who excell in BTech and M tech courses.

"Besides an astute parliamentarian, Etikala was also a freedom fighter who fought against the Nizam's Razakars, hence, his life history should be familiarised to the students during the induction of first year classes. Etikala was also instrumental in the establishment of Kakatiya Medical College and Polytechnic College in Warangal," Sanjeeva said. NITW Registrar S Goverdhan Rao and Dean Students Welfare Prof Puli Ravi Kumar were among others who paid tributes to Etikala.