AP HC stays construction of houses in Amaravati’s R-5

Vijayawada In what is considered to be a big jolt to the YSRCP Government, the Andhra Pradesh High Court on Thursday issued an interim order directing immediate stoppage of construction of the houses in the R-5 Zone created in the CRDA area.

Farmers of Amaravati, including some Dalit organizations, have been opposing the project. After obtaining the Cabinet nod, Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy launched the housing project in the R-5 zone recently amid fanfare. The government wants to develop 47,000 houses for the poor in the CRDA region with an investment of Rs5,000 crore in an area of 1366 acres.

The Chief Minister at a recent meeting chided the Opposition mainly the TDP and the media friendly to the party for creating legal hurdles to deny houses to the poor. He had also said that TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu wanted Amaravati to become the personal fiefdom of the affluent people.

The JAC of Amaravati Farmers and Jai Bheem Party, which have been vehemently opposing the allotment of house-sites to 'outsiders' in the area where as per the original master plan, an electronic city and business enclave was envisaged in an area of 900 acres, described the court order as a shot in the arm to develop Amaravati as the single capital of Andhra Pradesh.

Denying the allegations, YSRCP general secretary and Government Advisor (Policy Affairs) Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy alleged that the TDP and certain vested interests have been trying to put spokes in their efforts to provide houses to the poor in Amaravati as well as other areas.

He said the Chief Minister is firm on decentralised development in all the regions. Reddy alleged that the Opposition efforts will not bear fruit in future as the people will not support them in the elections in any manner.

After coming to power, the YSRCP Government scrapped the Master Plan as well as the land allotted to Singapore Consortium for development of core and IT startup area and subsequently declared trifurcation of the capital by setting executive capital at Visakhapatnam. The case against the three-capital issue is pending in the Supreme Court. On a few occasions, the Chief Minister declared that he will relocate his residence to Visakhapatnam in September thereby fuelling speculation that he might open a camp office in the AP's largest city.

Welcoming the High Court's latest order to stop construction activity in R-5 Zone, Chandrababu Naidu said they will continue their fight till Amaravati is made the full-fledged capital. He said, anyhow, the TDP is all set to form the next government whenever elections are held. Elections to the Assembly are due in the next nine months.

Former Minister and TDP MLA Ganta Srinivasa Rao said even after denial of loan for housing in the so-called R-5 zone, the fund-starved YSRCP Government wanted to divert funds and start construction of houses with an eye on fast approaching elections.

Naidu during the TDP Government had acquired 35,000 acres under the Land Pooling Scheme (LPS) from the farmers for development of capital at Amaravati from 29 villages with the promise to give them 1,000 square yards of developed plot of their choice per acre of surrendered land.