The Visakhapatnam Urban Development Authority has been directed by the government to help Maharaja Alak Narayan Society of Arts and Science (MANSAS) liquidate some of its assets through e-auction to help raise funds for construction of a charitable hospital and medical college in the heart of Vizianagaram.

"MANSAS, which owns more than 13,000 acres of land spread across the four north Andhra districts and other assets, proposes to sell away 231 acres of land, including 2 acres of commercial space in the heart of Vizianagaram, to raise funds for setting up a 300-bed charitable hospitable and an attached medical college on its land near RTC Complex in Vizianagaram," Special Officer of MANSAS Medical Project R. Ramakrishnaiah said while addressing the media here on Friday along with VUDA Vice-Chairman T. Baburao Naidu.

MANSAS is an educational trust established by former Raja Saheb of Vizianagaram and MP P.V.G. Raju in the memory of his father Maharaja Alak Narayan Gajapathi Raju. Today, the trust administers 12 educational institutions and is imparting education from KG to PG, engineering, pharmacy, law and management.

To facilitate the project envisaged by trustee Pusapati Ananda Gajapathi Raju, the government accorded permission to the Commissioner of Endowments to dispose of 231 acres 84 cents of MANSAS Trust through public auction by VUDA following due procedures and rules.

The land put up for sale has been verified as being free from encumberances.

The auction would be conducted by service provider Auction Tiger. A notification has been published on August 27. In the first phase, 2 acre 24 cents of land at Daba Gardens in Vizianagaram city would be put on the block on September 21. The entire auction process is expected to be completed by November-end.

"MANSAS hopes to get the medical project off the ground by the end of next year," Mr Ramakrishnaiah said.