Rushikonda Palace to be thrown open to public soon: CM Naidu
Andhra Pradesh CM N Chandrababu Naidu plans to open Rushikonda bungalows to public, criticizing former CM Jagan Mohan Reddy's extravagant spending.
Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday said that the bungalows on the Rushikonda Hills in Visakhapanam will soon be thrown open for the public to see “how the previous Jagan Mohan Reddy government indulged in extravagance” to build the palatial residence and camp office for the former chief minister.
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Naidu, the Telugu Desam Party chief, visited the bungalows at the picturesque, beachfront location with his cabinet colleagues, MLAs and other leaders of the NDA.
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“People have given us the mandate and it is our responsibility to present the factual position about Rushikonda palaces before the people. We shall throw open the palaces to the people to see for themselves how the previous Jagan Mohan Reddy government indulged in extravagance to construct the bungalows,” he said.
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Naidu said never in the history of the country had anybody witnessed a chief minister constructing such palatial bungalows on the hills by destroying the environment.
“When the bungalows were being constructed, nobody had access to approach this area, including media and environmentalists. Even I and deputy chief minister Pawan Kalyan made an attempt to see these constructions in the past, but we were not given any permissions,” he said.
He said the expenditure accounts provided by the authorities were astonishing.
“How could anyone spend ₹25 lakh on a bathtub and ₹5 lakh for a commode? Perhaps, he (Jagan) considered himself a king or even an emperor to rule the state forever. Nobody would ever imagine how a person could spend public money so lavishly for his luxurious life,” the chief minister said.
“Jagan used public money for luxury and built Raja Palace,” the chief minister said.
The ultramodern complex, spread over 9.88 acres and comprising seven blocks, was originally projected to be developed as a luxurious tourist resort. But at the time of inauguration of the palace on February 29, then tourism minister RK Roja said it could be used for accommodating residence-cum-camp office of for the former chief minister and YSRCP chief, Jagan Mohan Reddy.
After the TDP, in alliance with BJP, came to power in the state former minister from Visakhapatnam and YSRCP leader Gudivada Amarnath said the Rushikonda Palace was not a personal property of Jagan. “The government is a continuous process. It is for the new government to use it appropriately,” he said.