Vijayawada: Under the leadership of the newly formed committee of the Gandhi Hill Foundation, the activities of the organisation will henceforth be conducted with Gandhi Hill as the platform, stated Dr Gandhi PC Kaza, chairman of the Foundation.
Speaking on the occasion, he mentioned that Gandhi Hill here was inaugurated during the centenary celebrations of Mahatma Gandhi in 1968-69. The Gandhi Stupa was inaugurated on October 6, 1968, by the then President of India Dr Zakir Hussain. Subsequently, the Gandhi Hill Foundation was established in 1977.
Following the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, the Andhra Pradesh Gandhi Smarak Nidhi was newly registered at Gandhi Hill in 2017, and a new executive committee was formed. Y Ramachandra Rao, Secretary of the Foundation, recalled that a meeting of the newly formed Gandhi Hill Foundation was held on May 8 at Gandhi Hill attended by NTR District Collector and Vijayawada Municipal Corporation Commissioner Dhyan Chandra as ex-officio members. Dr Gandhi PC Kaza as the Chairman and Y Ramachandra Rao as the Secretary were appointed. Along with them, a committee of 11 members was formed, including Dr Jandhyala Shankar, Dr Ravi Sarada, I Prasad Raju, G Rashmi Samaram, and Dr GV Mohan Prasad.
During the meeting, the current state of Gandhi Hill, which was once a matter of pride for Vijayawada, was reviewed. The Foundation discussed the tasks to be undertaken for its development in a phased manner. In the first phase (2025-2027), it was decided to prioritise significant and useful programmes. As part of the beautification of Gandhi Hill, plans include aesthetically designing the main entrance arch, landscaping, repairing the approach road from the entrance to the Stupa, upgrading the children’s park area, and enhancing the surrounding areas to make them attractive. Additionally, a modern train will be designed to attract visitors. The planetarium, recently established by the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) using German technology, has already become an attraction for youth and adults. By Gandhi Jayanti in 2025, some changes will be implemented, and Gandhi Jayanti celebrations will be held at Gandhi Hill.
The Foundation will enter into MoUs with the VMC, other local government bodies, industrial organisations, and the general public. As per the bylaws of the Foundation, the Chief Minister of the state will be the Chief Patron of the Gandhi Hill Foundation. With their guidance and suggestions, the goal is to develop Gandhi Hill into a local, state, national, and international centre, they stated.
