tirupati: Regarding the long-standing controversy over the proposed three master-planned roads, the Sri Venkateswara University (SVU) campus in Tirupati has finally ended and the state government officially canceled the plan. The announcement by the Secretary of Municipal Administration Dr. P. Narayana in the Legislative Council has ushered in a celebration of students, faculty and alumni striving to protect the University’s academic and ecological integrity.
Tirupati Municipal Corporation (MCT) proposed two 80-foot roads and proposed a 100-foot road through campus, citing the need for improved urban connectivity. However, the move faces strong opposition, with students and alumni warning that it will harm the university’s lush green cover, including rare botanical research gardens, while also posing a safety risk. They believe the program will transform the tranquil campus into a noisy corridor of vehicle traffic.
The initial student protests quickly gained momentum, gaining support from political parties and alumni associations. “It’s not just the road; it’s about maintaining an identity on a campus that nurtures generations of scholars,” said SVU alumni and retired professor Dr. K. Raghunath.
The protests also took a political turn, with YSRC leaders supporting the project, which was criticized by the opposition parties at the time, including Telugu Desam and BJP. YSRC activists even burned statues of rival leaders who opposed the road. But the allegations quickly surfaced, and the real intention behind the project was to provide easier opportunities for a star-rated hotel and specialist bungalow near Zoo Park Road.
Under growing pressure, MCT put the project on hold, but the controversy refused to disappear. Faculty and Staff – After serving and retirement, form a WhatsApp group called “Save SVU – Don’t Destroy Campus”, a group that becomes a neurological center for mobilizing protests and raising public awareness. “We have to use every platform to spread the word. It’s a fight to save the soul of SVU,” said R. Sulochana, an alumni and former research scholar.
After the NDA government came to power, the matter regained political concerns. MLC Bhumireddy Ramgopal Reddy raised the issue in the Legislative Council and urged a clear decision on the fate of the project. Minister Narayana announced in response to the inquiry that the proposal for the road had been abandoned, ending months of uncertainty.
