Jagan govt’s demolition drive reaches Chandrababu Naidu doors; gets notice to move out

Mangalore Today News Network

Andhra Pradesh, Jun 28, 2019 :  The Andhra Pradesh government on Friday served eviction notice on the owners of the palatial bungalow on the banks of Krishna river at Vundavalli in Amaravati, where Telugu Desam Party president and opposition leader N Chandrababu Naidu has been staying for nearly five years, Hindustan Times reported.

 

Officials of the AP Capital Region Development Authority (APCRDA) led by assistant director Y Narender Reddy went to Naidu’s residence and handed a copy of the notice to his staff there. The former chief minister was present in the house when the authorities issued the notice.

The notice, served in the name of industrialist Ramesh Lingamaneni, asked him to vacate the premises and demolish the building since it was identified as an unauthorized construction falling within 100 metres of the river bank.

“The CRDA gave a week’s time to Ramesh to comply with the order, failing which the authorities would go ahead with the demolition without any further notice,” an official familiar with the development said.

Naidu, who moved to the capital region soon after coming to power in June 2014 following bifurcation of combined state, chose the guesthouse of Lingamaneni at Vundavalli. Suitable modifications were made in the house to meet the security requirements of Naidu. A garden with a swimming pool was developed subsequently and a makeshift helipad was constructed adjacent to the house.

Following instructions from YSR Congress party president and chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, the CRDA authorities have already demolished “Praja Vedika,” a sprawling conference hall constructed adjacent to Naidu’s residence. The hall was being used by Naidu to meet people and also hold official meetings, including collectors’ conferences.

Jagan declared Praja Vedika and also Naidu’s residence as illegal constructions and asked the officials to identify all such unauthorized buildings on the banks of Krishna river.

The CRDA submitted identified nearly 60 such constructions, including 22 big buildings that came up in violation of the building laws over the last few years. “We have started serving notices on the owners of all such buildings from Friday. Naidu’s building is among them,” the official said.

While Lingamaneni could not be reached for comments, senior TDP leader and former finance minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu strongly protested the issuance of eviction notices on Naidu.

“This is nothing but witch-hunting of the former chief minister. In fact, the buildings came up during the regime of Jagan’s father Y S Rajasekhar Reddy, who gave all permissions for construction. If they were illegal constructions, why didn’t Reddy take action against them then itself?” he asked.

He pointed out that there was no proposal for the construction of capital city when the building were constructed in 2008. “There was no CRDA then. The permission was granted by then gram panchayat,” he said.

YSR Congress spokesperson Vasireddy Padma maintained that the government had taken up a massive exercise to cleanse the system and set the administration in order.