The controversial hilltop tourism project at Rushikonda in the city came under fire once again on July 22 (Saturday).
Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) corporator P.L.V.N. Murthy, popularly known as Peethala Murthy Yadav, of the Jana Sena Party (JSP) lodged a complaint again with the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) over the on-going works being carried out there by the Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC).
In the complaint, Mr. Yadav said, “Construction work is being carried out at the project site in violation of court orders. The five-member committee constituted by the MoEFCC, on the orders of the Andhra Pradesh High Court, has also found several irregularities. However, the MoEFCC has so far not taken any action against the violations.”
Mr. Yadav said he was the first and main petitioner to approach the High Court against the violations committed by the State government in undertaking the tourism project at Rushikonda.
The corporator said he had filed his first petition in December 2021. Later, TDP Visakhapatnam East MLA Velagapudi Ramakrishna Babu and YSR Congress Party Member of Parliament K. Raghu Ramakrishna Raju too had filed petitions on the project.
HC order
After hearing these petitions, the High Court had, on November 3, 2022, directed the MoEFCC to set up a joint committee to study the APTDC’s alleged violations and the status of the project at the ground level.
Accordingly, the MoEFCC had constituted a five-member committee, comprising members from from public sector bodies — National Institute of Oceanography, National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management, Central Public Works Department and Central Pollution Control Board. On February 10, 2023, the committee was directed to study the project.
“I have also filed a contempt of court case, the hearing of which is listed for August 2.”Peethala Murthy YadavJSP corporator and petitioner
Members of the committee had come to Visakhapatnam on March 13, 2023, and visited the Rushikonda project site. They had prepared a report and submitted the same to the State High Court, Mr. Yadav told The Hindu.
Committee report
“I have also received a copy of the report as I am a petitioner. The committee too has found violations and mentioned the same in its report. This has happened almost three months ago. But here has been no action from the authorities concerned, especially the MoEFCC, so far,” Mr. Yadav said.
“In this backdrop, I lodged a complaint again on Saturday. I have also filed a case for contempt of court, the hearing of which is listed for August 2,” Mr. Yadav said.
“In spite of the complaints, petitions, and court orders, the APTDC is continuing its work on top of Rushikonda. Construction work in one block has also been completed,” he added.
