After ‘NTR’, Jagan Sarkar Removes ‘Maharaja’

Days after replacing Dr NTR name for the health university with his father’s name Dr YSR, the Jagan Reddy-led government has taken another controversial decision and removed the tag of ‘Maharaja’ from the Maharaja Government Headquarters Hospital in Vizianagaram. Now, it is just Government General Hospital.

The change in the name came to the public notice after they saw a new billboard fixed on the hospital premises. The billboard was erected at the health facility on Thursday night. The hospital was established by the Maharajas of the Vizianagaram dynasty several decades ago. The dynasty is now being represented by the Pusapati family, which is close to the TDP.

The Maharaja tag was given to the hospital in the memory of the king who donated valuable land costing crores of rupees for the health facility. Despite donating 22 acres of land for the good of the people, the Maharaja did not name the hospital after himself. It was only after the country became democratic, the authorities at that time prefixed ‘Maharaja’ in memory of the benevolence of the king.

Of the 22 acres of land, 12 acres is lying vacant.

It is not just the hospital, there is a music college and a degree college too with the Maharaja’s name in the same town.

The opposition parties castigated Jagan government for being obsessed with the change in the name. Jagan should draw inspiration from such generous kings who did not crave for name and fame but just focused on people’s welfare, pointed out TDP leaders. “Jagan tags even Centre-sponsored schemes with either his name or his father’s name,” they ridiculed.

There are allegations that the YCP government has plans to take the hospital land under its control and the name change is the precursor to the bigger ploy.

“Why is the CM so particular in changing all the names?

The government plans to provide additional specialties once the medical college starts functioning there.

The opposition TD took strong exception to the state government renaming the hospital. TD chief N. Chandrababu Naidu tweeted that the change of the name in Vizianagaram was a ‘Tughlaq act’ of the CM.

TDP general secretary Nara Lokesh said the CM was getting sadistic pleasure in changing the names of prominent institutions.

Lokesh regretted that the name of NTR was removed from the health university.