Jagan alleges Amaravati plan unviable, accuses Naidu of misleading people
YSRCP chief Jagan Mohan Reddy alleged that Andhra Pradesh CM N Chandrababu Naidu is misleading people with an unviable Rs 2 lakh crore Amaravati capital plan. He claimed inflated costs, corruption, and diversionary politics, while promoting MAVIGUN as a sustainable alternative
Amaravati: YSRCP supremo Jagan Mohan Reddy on Thursday accused Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu of “misleading” people in the name of the Amaravati capital project for alleged scams, despite knowing that the project was unviable as basic infrastructure alone would cost Rs 2 lakh crore. Addressing a press conference at the YSRCP central office in Tadepalli, the former chief minister alleged that Naidu was creating a “false impression” about the capital city project and undermining the possibility of building a permanent capital.
“Despite knowing that the Rs 2 lakh crore project cannot be implemented, Naidu is creating a false impression about the capital city for his scams and is cheating people,” Jagan claimed.
Alleging that the claims of a self-financing capital had collapsed, the opposition leader said the TDP-led coalition government had so far borrowed Rs 47,387 crore for the greenfield capital city and allocated another Rs 9,200 crore in the budget.
Though the Assembly, High Court, and Secretariat buildings already exist in Amaravati, having been built at Rs 1,200 crore, Jagan accused Naidu of rebuilding them at an exorbitant cost.
For five buildings in the proposed “permanent” Secretariat, he alleged that Naidu is spending Rs 4,354 crore on their structure and Rs 1,053 crore on drainage, water, and other infrastructure.
Likewise, Jagan claimed that the government is spending Rs 2,316 crore on lifts, air conditioning, and plumbing, Rs 2,540 crore on glass fittings, and Rs 401 crore on the design of these five buildings, taking the total expenditure to Rs 10,665 crore. At this rate, the former chief minister noted that the construction cost per square foot for these buildings would come to Rs 20,427, compared to “just Rs 4,500” even in metropolitan cities like Bengaluru with five-star facilities.
The total projected expenditure for the Secretariat, Assembly, and High Court buildings has already crossed Rs 14,092 crore, even before interiors are added, with the cost per square foot expected to rise to Rs 40,000, he claimed.
Jagan alleged that returnable plots in Amaravati are being allotted to individuals close to the government, including film producer Ashwini Dutt, media baron Radhakrishna, and others, in prime locations, while farmers who pooled the land are being allotted plots in low-lying areas.
Further, the YSRCP chief claimed that support for MAVIGUN (Machilipatnam–Vijayawada–Guntur), which he had proposed as an alternative capital corridor to Amaravati, was gaining popularity among the masses.
MAVIGUN, he said, represents a practical and financially sustainable alternative, with existing infrastructure such as Machilipatnam Port, Vijayawada International Airport, railway connectivity, national highways, universities, and medical colleges.
Jagan alleged that law and order in the state had deteriorated over the past two years, citing “authoritarian governance, fabricated cases, political vendetta, and suppression of democratic voices.” Referring to fuel prices, he said the cost of petrol and diesel had increased despite pre-election promises of a reduction.
The YSRCP chief further alleged that the Naidu-led government was neglecting public welfare while engaging in rampant corruption and loot, turning the state into a “mafia kingdom and jungle raj.” Nearly two years after the TDP-led coalition government came to power, he claimed that people had not seen any tangible benefits from Naidu’s rule.
Amid what he described as “continued and widespread corruption”, he alleged that Naidu was resorting to “diversionary politics.” Reacting to Naidu’s population management campaign, Jagan alleged that the CM was reducing women to mere child-bearing machines and pointed out that Naidu himself has only one child, while his son Nara Lokesh also has one child.
There was no immediate reaction from the TDP.
