TDP’s Ganta Srinivasa Rao alleges Rs. 500 Crore misuse in Rushikonda palace construction

Visakhapatnam: In the recent elections, had the YSRCP won, Visakhapatnam was to become the capital, and Jagan Mohan Reddy would govern from the Rushikonda Palace. However, with the YSRCP’s significant defeat, none of Jagan's plans materialized. In this context, TDP MLA and former minister Ganta Srinivasa Rao, along with media representatives, entered the Rushikonda Palace today.

Until now, the details of the constructions at Rushikonda were unknown. Ganta Srinivasa Rao revealed the mystery today. The visuals showed the palace was constructed in an extremely luxurious manner, leaving Ganta and the media reporters astonished at the interior arrangements.

After inspecting the Rushikonda Palace, Ganta Srinivasa Rao held a press conference. He revealed that Jagan had secretly built the palace at a huge expense of Rs. 500 crore, violating norms. He alleged that the building complex was constructed on 61 acres, with Rs. 500 crore spent on a building reminiscent of a royal palace.

He compared the extravagance to the palaces built by Iraq dictator Saddam Hussein and Gali Janardhan Reddy. Ganta detailed that the palace included facilities not usable as a hotel, such as a large conference hall designed for reviews and meetings. He directly questioned why such a luxurious building was secretly constructed.

Ganta criticized that previously there were green resorts for tourism on Rushikonda, generating an annual income of up to Rs. 8 crore. He accused that these resorts were demolished to construct the palace, misleading even the courts. Initially, it was said to be a star hotel, then a CM camp office, and later a tourism project.

He mentioned that a legal battle was fought by some, leading to a High Court expert committee finding several violations. Despite this, construction continued. He claimed the construction estimates were kept highly confidential and the contract awarded to YSRCP supporters.

Ganta detailed that they initially started the building claiming it was a star hotel with a budget of Rs. 91 crore, expected to be completed in 15 months. However, Rs. 95 crore was spent just on leveling the land, and another Rs. 21 crore to beautify the surroundings. He disclosed that 20-foot barricades were erected to keep the construction activities hidden.

He noted that even prominent leaders like Chandrababu Naidu and Pawan Kalyan were not allowed to inspect the constructions at Rushikonda. Ganta sarcastically remarked that despite the huge expenditure, Jagan couldn’t even set foot in the building nor see it with his own eyes, suggesting that divine intervention prevented Jagan from using the palace.

Ganta concluded by stating that Jagan continued to govern in a manner that mocked the public mandate after his 2019 election victory, resulting in his recent electoral defeat. He highlighted that the people of Visakhapatnam rejected the YSRCP, strongly signaling against making Visakhapatnam the capital. Ganta clarified that CM Chandrababu Naidu would decide how to utilize the grand building.