Jagan’s new Vizag abode might take longer to build

• High Court committee investigating alleged violations at construction site at Rushikonda
• Green activists allege construction violates Coastal Regulation Zone guidelines
• Uncertainty among non-gazetted officers about mid-year relocation
• Opposition parties support Amaravati as the sole capital

Visakhapatnam: Several factors, including the recent directive from the Andhra Pradesh High Court, tasking a committee with investigating alleged violations related to excavations and the construction of large structures at Rushikonda beachfront, might lead to a delay in the opening of transit offices and residences for Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, Ministers, and senior officials in Visakhapatnam. The government earlier indicated its plans as a first step to develop the city into the executive capital in early December after putting off the shifting during Ugadi and Dasara festivals.

The relocation of Jagan Mohan Reddy’s house and offices, which has been hanging fire for past several months on some pretext or the other, is facing legal issues as a writ petition challenging the decision for trifurcation of capital is likely to come up for hearing sometime later in the Supreme Court. AP High Court sometime ago had asked a joint committee constituted by it to conduct inspection of alleged excavations and constructions at Rushikonda by AP Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC) by spending crores of rupees in violation of permissions obtained from the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF). The panel was asked to submit the report by December 27.

Responding to the directive, the ministry sought time till mid-January to submit a comprehensive report. Earlier, green activists and several other civil society leaders had alleged massive violation of Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) guidelines in the constructions. The new buildings built by demolishing the tourism cottages of APTDC will be used as transit accommodation for the Chief Minister with excellent seaview from an elevated place.

There is also gossip in political circles that the comeback staged by the Congress in Telangana by dislodging the BRS government and the State government officials’ preoccupation to tackle the cyclone may delay the shifting.

Two GOs have already been issued identifying the buildings for various offices and residences of top officials and various departments. There is uncertainty among the non-gazetted officers posted at the Secretariat at Velagapudi on shifting of several employees in the middle of academic year. Sources said transit accommodation has been promised to all those who will be asked to shift to Visakhapatnam with a promise for granting of house-sites.

With elections slated to be held in the next few months, the government wants to tread a cautious approach to avoid any legal complications, an official stated. The government by opening transit offices also wants to indulge in blame games by accusing the Opposition parties for creating legal problems over trifurcation of capital. All the Opposition parties including BJP are supporting the continuation of Amaravati as the single capital.

“Despite my objections, the State authorities, for reasons best known to them, chose to go ahead with extensive construction work of APTDC, violating the conservation norms stipulated in VMRDA’s (erstwhile VUDA) Master Plan, the statutory requirements stipulated in the CRZ notification etc. As a result, APTDC has destroyed the aesthetic beauty of the Rushikonda Hill and littered the beach with the construction wastes spread over several kilometres. In the process, APTDC has also violated the urban waste management norms laid down by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests,” social activist and former IAS officer EAS Sarma said in a complaint lodged with the civic authorities.