Debate on Rushikonda palace generates heat in Council

Vijayawada: Ministers Kandula Durgesh and K Atchannaidu came down heavily on former chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy and YSRCP government for construction of Rushikonda palace at a cost of more than Rs 400 crore public money which is enormous waste, apart from violating all norms.

Heated debate took place in Legislative Council on Rushikonda ‘palace’ in Vizag constructed by YSRCP government on Tuesday.

Tourism minister Durgesh said the YSRCP government demolished the profitable Harita resorts, which has 58 rooms earning Rs 7 crore to Rs 16 crore revenue annually for the tourism department.

TDP member Duvvarapu Ramarao raising the Rushikonda palace topic asked the government what it is going to do with it and how will it be utilised. Replying to the question, tourism minister Durgesh said the YSRCP government had demolished the Harita resorts and constructed a lavish palace with more than Rs 460 crore public money with only seven rooms in seven blocks.

He said the tourism department initially said cottages would be constructed and later announced that the Rushikonda palace would be used for CM camp office, ministers’ offices and other government purposes.

He said violations were there in construction and there was a difference in the original plan approved by the officials and the actual building.

Objecting to statement of the minister, YSRCP MLCs said there was no deviation in the construction and no irregularities had taken place.

Agriculture minister Atchannaidu participating in the debate said if the YSRCP MLCs see the Rushikonda palace they would not speak like that. He asked them to visit the palace once to know how much public money was wasted.

AS YSRCP MLCs continued their protest, Atchannaidu lost cool and said the YSRCP members should be ashamed to support their party leader Jagan Mohan Reddy.

Responding to the comments of the ministers, the Leader of the Opposition in Council Botcha Satyanarayana said the government can conduct an inquiry into the construction of the Rushikonda palace and clarified that it is the government building.

He said the current government can use the palace as per its wishes. He made it clear there were no irregularities in construction of the palace. He objected to use of words like ‘guts’, ‘dare’ by minister Durgesh stating that such words should not be used in Legislative Council.

Council chairman K Moshen Raju asked the members of the two sides to maintain restraint. Minister Durgesh said probe would continue into the deviations in construction of building.