Activist calls for demolition of CRZ violating structures atop Rushikonda
These super-structures were built without proper approvals and violated Supreme Court limitations, says social activist EAS Sarma
Visakhapatnam: Noted social activist and former IAS officer EAS Sarma has sought demolition of constructions carried out as part of palatial buildings atop Rushikonda hills here in violation of Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) rules.
The recent disclosure of opulence in construction of super-structures by hiding it from public glare with an estimated cost of Rs 500 crore to house the Chief Minister’s Office by the erstwhile YSRCP government have erupted a controversy. After the buildings were made public by Bheemili MLA and TDP leader Ganta Srinivasa Rao, YSRCP leaders denied that there was no final decision taken to convert the mansion into CMO and one of the proposals was to convert into a guesthouse for VVIPs like President of India and Prime Minister.
The TDP-led NDA Government has decided to release a white paper on lavish constructions at Rushikonda violating rules and seek a public debate on what purpose the super-structures could be used in future.
Sarma, in a representation to Leena Nandan, Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change (MEFCC), reminded his plea made on July 134, 2023 and the previous related correspondence, to revoke the CRZ approval given to AP Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC) for modifying its tourist facility atop Rushikonda for multiple violations committed by that corporation in respect of the conditions stipulated in the CRZ approval order.
The violation involved breaching the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) notification by carrying out unauthorized construction in CRZ areas without prior approval, illegally dumping construction waste along CRZ coastal stretches, and disregarding Supreme Court conditions limiting the extent of construction permissible for APTDC.
He stated that evidently, under instructions from the earlier government in the State, the officers of APTDC not only kept the public in the dark about the happenings within the said complex but also failed to make an authentic disclosure of the facts in the ongoing proceedings before the AP High Court.
The expert committee constituted by the High Court surveyed the area and was reported to have determined the additional extent over which APTDC undertook construction in violation of the CRZ conditions.