Hyderabad: Over a decade after bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh and the state’s administrative set-up shifting to Amaravati in 2016 underneath his command, Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu is lastly going to have a house of his personal within the space being developed because the state’s sole capital. Naidu was typically derided by the opposition YSRCP for not possessing his personal dwelling area in Amaravati. The TDP chief was termed a customer.
On Wednesday, Naidu, alongside together with his spouse Nara Bhuvaneswari, and grandson Devansh, carried out the bhoomi-pooja, a Hindu initiation ritual for home building. Naidu’s son and state minister Nara Lokesh and his spouse Brahmani additionally took half within the ceremony held at their plot close to the state secretariat at Velagapudi village in Amaravati capital space.
Following the TDP-led NDA’s spectacular victory within the state meeting polls final 12 months, Naidu purchased 5 acres of land from few Velagapudi locals in December.
The development is anticipated to take a 12 months, after which Naidu will shift into the home.
The bottom-breaking ceremony came about simply forward of recommencement of capital mission works in Amaravati, shelved by former CM Jagan Mohan Reddy in 2019.
Naidu’s greenfield, world class capital mission of Rs 1 lakh crore is anticipated to be flagged-off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as soon as extra, within the third week of April, in one other grand ceremony. The primary basis stone for Amaravati was laid by Modi in October 2015, in his first time period as PM. A 12 months earlier, Naidu had been elected as the primary CM of Andhra Pradesh following the reorganisation that led to the creation of Telangana.
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Naidu’s short-term association
Although Hyderabad was designated because the joint capital for the 2 Telugu-speaking states for 10 years, until mid-2024, Naidu shifted the state govt seat abruptly to Amaravati in 2016. The transfer got here amid a showdown together with his counterpart-cum-political opponent Ok. Chandrashekar Rao over a slew of points, together with the 2015 Telangana MLC polls cash-for-votes rip-off probed by the Telangana Police.
As numerous departments had been hurriedly adjusted in accessible authorities or non-public buildings on hire in and round Vijayawada, the Andhra Pradesh secretariat was moved into the current Velagapudi secretariat, constructed to function a short lived setup.
Naidu at the moment unveiled his grand Amaravati blueprint, together with the everlasting, iconic secretariat towers, designed by globally famend architects.
In 2015, Naidu himself moved into a big guesthouse leased from businessman Lingamaneni Ramesh, mentioned to be near the TDP. The Andhra Pradesh CM continues to reside, manages celebration affairs and conduct some authorities duties too from the bungalow, at Undavalli village, alongside the Krishna River.
Naidu’s short-term association, whilst his spouse Bhuvaneswari, managing director of Hyderabad-based Heritage Meals, resided of their Jubilee Hills home in Hyderabad, gave cause to YSRCP to ridicule him, portraying him as a visitor/customer within the state.
In February 2019, two months earlier than the state polls, Jagan Mohan Reddy, accompanied by his spouse Bharathi moved into his grand edifice: a palatial residence and celebration workplace blocks inside the similar advanced, constructed on a two-acre plot at Tadepalli close to Amaravati.
Former YSRCP legislator and actor R.Ok. Roja, who additionally served as state minister, then confirmed Jagan constructed personal home to dismiss “TDP canards that if elected to energy, he would transfer the capital out of Amaravati”. On the similar time, Roja sought to know why Naidu had didn’t construct his personal home in Amaravati, including that “most likely the TDP chief is aware of he’s not coming again after the 2019 elections”. Responding to YSRCP’s criticism, Naidu commented that Jagan can not reside anyplace aside from a palace.
“Jagan wants palaces. Whereas he has a number of palaces already, at Lotus Pond in Hyderabad, one in Bengaluru, one other at Pulivendula, he bought one more now in Tadepalli. Until this palace was constructed, he didn’t depart Hyderabad. YSRCP shouldn’t be the celebration of poor however the celebration of palaces,” Naidu reportedly mentioned in February 2019, whereas speaking to celebration leaders.
Following the landslide victory within the 2019 meeting polls and basic election, Jagan’s Tadepalli home was designated as the brand new CM’s camp residence. Inside six months, Jagan allegedly spent over Rs 15 crore on improved safety and different fixtures at this advanced.
The Tadepalli advanced was fitted with photo voltaic fencing, a lightning safety system, CCTV cameras and extra air con with a top-notch variable refrigerant quantity system. The overall price of those facilities got here to over Rs 3 crore, together with Rs 80 lakh for an air con system, all paid for by public cash.
A Authorities Order, issued in October 2019 from the division of transport, roads and buildings, sanctioned Rs 73 lakh for provide and set up of recent doorways and home windows in the home. Earlier, Rs 5 crore was sanctioned to widen a 1.3 km stretch of street resulting in the residence.
‘Unlawful construction’
Naidu’s current lodging since 2015, Lingamaneni guesthouse at Undavalli, can also be mired in controversy.
In response to TDP criticism focusing on Jagan’s Tadepalli “palace”, YSRCP ministers had accused Naidu of splurging crores to refurbish the non-public guesthouse, which additionally they alleged was illegally constructed on Krishna riverbed in violation of river zone laws.
In the course of the huge floods in September final 12 months when many residential localities of Vijayawada remained inundated for days, YSRCP leaders alleged Naidu was additionally compelled out of his Undavalli residence, on the opposite aspect of Vijayawada.
The celebration, in a collection of tweets, posted a number of visuals of heavy inundation alongside the Karakatta (river embankment) street, saying Naidu’s residence was located in a low-lying space alongside the Krishna River—a “location that inherently makes it prone to flooding, significantly throughout the monsoon season when the river swells”.
Regardless of being the CM, Naidu, YSRCP mentioned in a submit on X, “is setting a harmful precedent by persevering with to reside in an unlawful construction”. It additional reminded people who the YSRCP authorities issued notices to Naidu up to now, warning in regards to the building. “But these warnings went unheeded, as Naidu selected to proceed dwelling in the home,” it mentioned.
“When AP authorities shifted to Amravati in 2016, leaving Hyderabad, the Undavalli home within the space was deemed match, secure and safe for residence of CM Naidu, a Z-plus class protectee. So, it was taken on hire or lease,” a TDP chief had earlier advised ThePrint.
When Jagan had constructed the public-funded Rs 450 crore Rushikonda palace in his time period as CM, it was the TDP’s flip to allege that it was inbuilt violation of CRZ clearances and different environmental norms whereas excavating nearly half of scenic Rushikonda hill, location of a beach-front vacationer spot in Visakhapatnam.
(Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui)
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