Protests over PV Sindhu academy land in Vizag

Demand for junior college intensifies

A controversy has emerged in Visakhapatnam as residents express opposition to the allocation of land for a sports academy led by badminton star PV Sindhu. Locals are rallying for the land to be used instead to build a much-needed junior college in the Totaguru area of Visakhapatnam district, a proposal they say has been long overdue and repeatedly requested from the government.

The dispute centers on two acres that were earmarked in June 2021 by the YS Jagan Mohan Reddy-led government for the PV Sindhu Badminton Academy and Sports School. The site, located in Chinagadili mandal under survey numbers 73/11, 83/5, and 83/6, is part of a three-acre plot originally held by the animal husbandry department. Of this, two acres were transferred to the Sports and Youth Affairs Department for Sindhu’s academy, while one acre was allocated to the Health Department. The government order at the time specified that the land was to be used solely for non-commercial purposes related to sports.

PV Sindhu, pleased with the government’s support, had expressed gratitude to former Chief Minister Jagan for backing her vision of establishing Visakhapatnam’s first advanced badminton academy. Sindhu explained her commitment to developing the academy, with future plans to expand it into a sports school, and even pledged to take on a training role post-retirement.

However, the community’s demand for an educational facility on the same land has fueled concerns and protests, with locals asserting that a junior college would better serve the area’s educational needs. Local leaders and residents insist that their appeals for a junior college on the plot have gone unanswered, and now they are urging the current coalition government to reconsider the land’s allocation.

The government’s stance and PV Sindhu’s response to this escalating situation remain to be seen. As residents stand firm in their demand, all eyes are on the administration’s next steps in balancing the aspirations for sports development with the educational needs of the local population.