Jagan Spent Rs 431 Cr Of Taxpayers’ Money To Live Lavishly At Rushikonda Palace: Naidu

Visakhapatnaman: Making it very clear the YSRCP government indulged in opulence by building a palace at sea-facing Rushikonda hills in Visakhapatnam to make it the official home of YS Jagan Mohan Reddy when he was in power by spending a whopping Rs 431 crore, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has said this is a classic case of wasting tax-payers' money.

Naidu expressed surprise how a leader holding the top position in the State can build a palace for personal gains by spending a whooping Rs 431 crore of public money. After visiting the Rishikonda Palace spread over 61 acres at Yendada, he told media persons on Saturday whether it is acceptable to build such a costly palace with public money.

Without naming Jagan, the Chief Minister asked how such a person, who has spent hundreds of crores for constructing a residential palace for luxurious life misusing his power can call himself to be a leader of the poor. Is he a man or a feudalist, Naidu questioned.

Of the 61 acres, initially the proposal was to construct seven luxurious blocks in 10 acres spreading over 19,968 square meters, he said. However, they made some amendments later and constructed four blocks with an extent of 13,542 square meters in 1.84 acres through Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC), the Chief Minister said.

The shocking facts are that it was proposed to build four blocks in three phases and works were completed after administrative sanction for Rs 92 crore for the first phase, Rs 94 crore for second phase and Rs 112 crore for third phase, he pointed out. This apart, works were also completed through the Tourism and Culture Department after granting permission for another Rs 46 crore for constructing roads, drainage, basic facilities and for parking,

Naidu said.

In the name of bulk water supply, another Rs 1 crore of the Greater Visakha Municipal Corporation (GVMC) funds were spent while Rs 14 crore was the expenditure for 100 KV container sub-station, he said. Another Rs 21 crore was released through AP Greening and Beautification Corporation in August 2023 for landscaping works of which Rs 21 crore was spent, Naidu mentioned.