YSRCP government Amaravati, alleges CM Naidu
Describing Amaravati as the people’s capital, Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday regretted that the capital city had been subjected to extensive damage during the previous regime of YSR Congress Party.
Describing Amaravati as the people’s capital, Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday regretted that the capital city had been subjected to extensive damage during the previous regime of YSR Congress Party.
Speaking to reporters after undertaking a tour of the capital city region for more than four hours, Naidu said several constructions like the state assembly building, residential quarters of MLAs, judges, IAS and IPS officers, gazetted and non-gazetted officers and state government employees, which were completed to the extent of 80%, were abandoned during the YSRCP regime.
“All these structures are now lying in a state of utter neglect, surrounded by thick bushes and trees. We have to call for tenders to clear these areas completely to ascertain the exact status of these buildings,” the CM said.
Naidu alleged that the roads were dug up indiscriminately and construction material, including gravel, pipes and sand was looted. An investigation would be ordered into the theft of construction material. All the roads were abandoned midway, he added.
He declared that the government would come out with a white paper on the status of the Amaravati capital city works, so that people would know how the previous government had systematically sabotaged a prospective world-class capital city.
Naidu said the erstwhile Telugu Desam Party (TDP) government had planned to develop Amaravati capital city in a self-financing mode. Nearly 29,000 farmers had given away their 34,000-odd acres of land voluntarily for the capital city under the land pooling scheme, he pointed out.
“Along with the government lands and other private lands acquired, we wanted to construct the capital city in around 54,000 acres of land. We planned to monetise a big part of the land and plough back the money into the capital city construction. It could also generate revenue for the state government to take up welfare programmes after its completion,” the chief minister said.
Naidu began his visit with the inspection of the `Praja Vedika’, the public interface platform of Naidu during 2014-19 which was demolished by YS Jagan Mohan Reddy government in 2019. He went round the capital city to take stock of the situation and examined all destroyed roads and half-constructed canals in the region.
Naidu also visited Uddandarayunipalem, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi had laid the foundation for the capital in 2015. He knelt down before the foundation stone area and prayed for the restoration of the capital city.
Claiming that he tried to create the Amaravati brand, the chief minister alleged that former chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy had tried to kill the project by making false allegations of insider trading and driven away the contractors and international consultants. “The YSRCP government harassed the farmers, who had given their lands for capital development,” he also alleged.
Naidu said the farmers had called off their agitation with the confidence that Amaravati would be resurrected with the change of government in the state. “The farmers’ agitation for 1,631 days for the capital will remain as an example for the future generations,” he observed, adding that Amaravati would remain as the people’s capital and the youth could confidently work in their state without migrating to other states in search of employment.