1979-83 Alumni Auditorium - Inauguration

This Auditorium Project is Funded, Designed and Constructed by 1979-83 Batch.

Background

Our batch (1979 - '83) had our Silver Jubilee Celebrations in the last week of December 2008 at JNTU Kakinada. While we had a great time with loads of fun and remembering sweet memories of our college days, we also decided that we should do something for our College...we wanted to contribute something significant, useful and meaningful to the college to express our Love and Affection, but didn't know what to do. As you could expect, we couldn't come to any conclusion, because we had different ideas coming from different people. It took almost ten months and hundreds of emails and a few conference calls to decide on the Mini Auditorium Project (we did it in the most democratic way). Then the rest is history.

We got the foundation stone laid by another Legendary...our senior Alumni Member Dr. V.C. Kulandia Swamy, former Vice Chancellor of IGNOU, Anna University and Madurai Kamaraj University, on November 11, 2009. Then we started raising contributions from our batch mates. We have a broad based participation from our batch mates both in terms of financial support and as well as project execution support. The moment we started showing progress on the ground, the money started flowing in...and we never looked back.

Key Highlights of the Project

JNTU Kakinada is making the matching contribution in terms of Interiors and Furniture.
Capacity: 300 seats. The Front Foyer can be used as a stage for organising big events/ meetings up to a seating capacity of more than 3,000 people.
Fully Air conditioned (with Two Units of 17 Tons each).
Dedicated Diesel Generator.
Two Green Rooms. Auditorium Chairs imported from China.
Spacious Foyer (Granite flooring) and Corridors on both sides.
One Main Door and Four Side Doors.
Dimmable Lighting with RF Remote Control.
False Ceiling with Lighting Fixtures and AC Ducting.
Completion Time: Less than 10 months

Our Gratitude

We would like to take this opportunity to place on record our gratitude to the Honourable Vice Chancellor, Prof. Col. Allam Appa Rao, Dr. Ravindra, Registrar, all the Directors and other officers of JNTU Kakinada, for all the encouragement and excellent support provided in the successful completion of the project

A Report by Sri GS Rama Rao

I participated in the Inauguration of the Auditorium at our Engineering College, Kakinda and here are the glimpses of it.

Congratulations to the 1979-83 batch of alumni who excelled in conceptualisation, dedicated execution and organising the event, exhibiting excellence in every aspect. It is a source of inspiration to other alumni.

These Congratulations are supported by the following synopsis of the event.

Padma Vibhushan Dr E Sreedharan has been received at the Auditorium with traditional music (mangala vadyam). After breaking the coconuts at the foundation stone, he inaugurated the auditorium.

The dais has been excellently decorated.

Dr KVSG Murali Krishna, Director, Foreign Universities & Alumni Affairs has compeered the event excellently with magical, extempore jugglery of words apt to the context. As Garuda is the king of birds, Lion is the king of animals, etc., he compared the College of Engineering, Kakinada as the king of Engineering Colleges. While Taj Mahal is dedicated by Shah Jahan in the memory of his beloved deceased wife, this auditorium is a dedication to the living Mother by the alumni.

Rep 79-83 batch alumni Sri MV Ramana Rao invited the Chief Guest and Guests of Honour to the dais. Sri Seshagiri welcomed the Guests.

The dignitaries on the dais are:

Chief Guest Dr. E Sridharan, Padma Vibhushan Awardee
Col (Retd.) Allam Appa Rao, Vice Chancellor, JNTU, Kakinada
Smt. Nagamani Appa Rao
Dr. K Satyaprasad, Rector
Dr. V. Ravindra, Registrar
Dr. P. Udaya Bhasakar, Principal, College of Engineering, Kakinada
Reps of 1979-83 batch: Sri CSN Murty and ....
Sri AGK Rao, President of Hyderabad Alumni Association of JNTU College of Engineering, Kakinada.
& other Directors of JNTUK.

Hyderabad Alumni Association thanks the organisers to include the President of the Association in the Guests of Honour and giving an opportunity to speak on the occasion.

Sri Raja SK has taken the guests through the times supported by photographs of various stages of construction of the auditorium. A run through was made since their Silver Jubilee meet in 2008 in which the concept of dedicating something worthy to the alma mater started. After purposeful and heated discussion among them, they settled to sponsor the Auditorium project and the Vice Chancellor, Col (Retd.) Allam Appa Rao played an important role in it.

The foundation was laid on 11th November, 2009 by Dr Kulandai Swamy (alumnus of 1951, Civil), Vice Chancellor of Anna University (and other Universities also; alumnus of 1951, Civil batch), started the work on 5th February, 2010 and inaugurated on 22nd December, 2010.

The seating capacity of the auditorium is 300 and equipped with all modern amenities like remote controlled lighting system, grand Foyer, 2 heavy duty air conditioners, wide pathways etc. The auditorium appears big from the front view than its real capacity and it is due to a hexagonal shape (in the plan); thanks to the architect, Sri P Murali Krishna Varma. The selection of location of the auditorium is excellent and located exactly in front of the popular Administrative Building of the College and now the University.

Sri AGK Rao, alumnus of 1954, El batch gave brief of Dr Sreedharan (alumnus of 1953, Civil) as a contemporary for 3 years in the college. Dr Sreedharan was a Captain of the football team of the college. He also has given the details of the project (Sports Complex) sponsored by the alumni (of all batches and from all over the globe) in the service of the Mother Institution. The project was conceptualised originally as an Auditorium at the time of Diamond Jubilee of the College in 2006 and got transformed as a Sports Complex now. Realisation of the Project is under active progress and he requested all Alumni to extend their support.

Col (Retd.) Allam Appa Rao, Vice Chancellor recalled the incident when Dr TN Seshan, IAS (popularly known as Chief Election Commissioner) mentioned in Andhra University about Dr Sridharan as a most exemplary classmate and he is thrilled to meet such an eminent person and share the dais with him. He invited Dr Sreedharan to be a visiting professor to the August institution and Dr Sreedharan accepted it.

Speech and Message from Padma Vibhushan Dr E Sreedharan, the Chief Guest

He recalled that he was an alumnus of 1949-53 batch in Civil Engineering and at that time, under Madras Presidency, the Engineering Colleges were only in Guindy, Coimbatore, Kakinada and Ananthpur. Dr TN Seshan, IAS was his class mate. The college was in army barracks made by the then British Government. He is thrilled to visit his alma mater after 57 long years and the institution had gone through a great transformation. To Indian Railway Service, along with him, 18 of the candidates of this August Institution were selected.

He recalled the value systems taught by the Mother Institution which he endorsed as the chief contributors for his success in life and elevation. He remembered his professors Dr Sitapathi and others who imbibed the Values of Life. He considers that the four pillars for his success in life and achievement are i) Punctuality ii) Integrity iii) Competence and iv) Social Accountability.

Punctuality as learnt by Dr Sreedharan is 'to be on dot and never late nor early' from his teacher Dr Sitapathi. He imbibed these values into the Organisations he headed. The Delhi Metro is known for Punctuality. Integrity means more than lack of financial corruption. Transparency, honesty and character are part of it. Parents and the Institution are responsible for the Integrity of the individuals. The tenders of Delhi Metro are of the volume of Rs. 2800 Crores; but, never any scam was involved. Professional Competency is extremely important in the success of the individual and organisation. The Institution lays the foundation for competence whereas the rest has to be built by the individual. He himself is an example for it. He has graduated in Engineering and the rest of the knowledge was gained through continuous efforts and perseverance. He walked through his career since he left the college in April 1953. He has always completed the tasks in advance of the scheduled time and within the cost estimates. In December 1946 the bridge in Rameswaram to Dhanushkodi got washed out in a Tsunami like catastrophe and he was tasked to rebuild it. He retired from Indian Railways in 1990 and he was assigned the responsibility of laying the track of Konkan Railways involving 760 Kms of track, 93 tunnels of a total length of 83.5 Kms and 107 bridges. Railways were agreeable to fund the project only to an extent of the 1/3 of the cost. Delhi Metro has been completed in 7 years and within the cost estimation whereas the first Metro Rail system of Calcutta took 22 years and the cost escalation over this period was 14 times. He had to shoulder the responsibilities simultaneously of Konkan Railways as CMD and Metro Rail Corporation as MD. The Delhi Metro Rail System has been completed 2 years 9 months in advance of the scheduled time. Social Accountability has been totally displayed by Delhi Metro Rail Corporation in avoiding inconvenience to the public while laying the lines, keeping the roads clean (by washing them where they got soiled due to the movement of the heavy trucks. The fares of Delhi Metro Railways are the lowest (but next to Calcutta Rail Corporation). The Delhi Transport Corporation incurs huge losses (3crores a day) whereas Delhi Metro is running in profits. The Metro Rail System is Environment friendly, avoiding emission of 1000s of tons of Carbon Dioxide by the buses which are required otherwise and saving millions of man-hours to the Productivity of the Nation.

All over the World, the excellence of Dr Sreedharan and the track record of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation have spread and now everyone consults him at the thought of Metro Rail system.

Dr Sreedharn endorsed the total credit for his achievements to the College of Engineering, Kakinada as an alumnus. In the present times, the values of life are coming down and he wished that the August Institution may continue to upkeep and promote the Culture, Social Practices and Values of Life.

Padma Vibhushan Dr E Sreedharan has been felicitated very grandly with a great garland (Gaja Mala), Citation and a standing ovation by the Alumni of Engineering College, Kakinada.

Last but not the least, all the participants were served with the lunch from the famous Subbaiah Hotel.

— GS Rama Rao