Sanchaita new Simhachalam, MANSAS boards chairperson
VISAKHAPATNAM: In a swift development that may trigger a political controversy, Sanchaita Gajapati Raju, daughter of Pusapati Ananda Gajapati Raju, was sworn in as the chairperson of Sri Varahalakshmi Narasimha Swamy Devasthanam Trust Board of Simhachalam and MANSAS Trust Board.
She replaced her uncle and former Union minister Ashok Gajapati Raju, who has been heading both MANSAS and Simhachalam trust board since the demise of his brother Ananda Gajapati Raju. Only members of the Vizianagaram royal family have been heading the trust boards since they are hereditary trustees.
The government constituted the Simhachalam trust board along with other temple trust boards in the State on February 20.However, the swearing-in ceremony of the trust board, which was scheduled on February 29, was cancelled at the last minute.
Then invitation for the swearing-in ceremony was reportedly sent to Ashok Gajapati Raju also as he was the chairman. On Tuesday night, the government issued a GO appointing Sanchaita as chairperson of both Simhachalam temple trust board and MANSAS. She took charge as chairperson of the trust board at a simple function on Wednesday.
Sanchaita is the daughter of Uma Gajapati Raju, estranged wife of late Ananda Gajapati Raju. Sanchaita, a lawyer by profession, joined the BJP in 2018. She even participated in campaign for BJP candidates in Visakhapatnam during 2019 elections.
Meanwhile, Sanchaita in a Twitter message, thanked Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy for appointing her as the chairperson of both Simhachalam and MANSAS trust boards.
MANSAS was formed as a society in 1958 by PVG Raju in the name of his father to promote the cause of education and continue to administer the educational institutions under the patronage of their family. The trust was set up with an endowed property of over 13,000 acres and other properties to provide financial support for the educational institutions under MANSAS.
Anand Gajapati Raju and Ashok Gajapati Raju were founding members of the trust board. After the demise of PVG Raju in 1994, Ananda Gajapati Raju became the chairman of the trust. Ashok Gajapati Raju took up chairmanship in 2016 after the demise of Anand Gajapati Raju.
According to GO MS No 74, issued on March 3, Sanchaita was appointed the chairperson of the MANSAS Trust on a rotation basis.
