The Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Development Authority (AP-CRDA) issued a fresh notice in the name of industrialist Lingamaneni Ramesh, asking him to demolish in a week his guesthouse on the banks of River Krishna here, where former Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu is residing. If it was not demolished within the deadline, the CRDA would raze it to the ground, the notice made it clear.
CRDA officials pasted the papers at the building entrance saying a similar notice served by them last month evoked no response from Mr. Ramesh, and Mr. Naidu continued to stay there even as TDP leaders alleged witch-hunting by the YSR Congress (YSRC) Government.
The government, refusing to entertain an appeal by Mr. Naidu to retain it, got the adjoining ‘Praja Vedika’ demolished in June on the ground that it violated the River Conservation Act and relevant provisions of the CRDA Act and followed it up with notices to scores of such buildings, including the Lingamaneni guesthouse that was leased out to Mr. Naidu when he was Chief Minister. It became his camp office-cum-residence and he continued to stay there even as Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly.
However, the government did not act upon the previous notice served to Mr. Ramesh as the issue took a political turn, pitting the TDP and YSRC against each other. The opposition TDP insisted that it was a ploy to force Mr. Naidu out of his residence. The party contended that no other building on the river bank got demolition notice.
The demolition drive was also intensely debated in the Legislative Assembly, where Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy mounted a scathing attack on Mr. Naidu for allegedly flouting norms.
Officials had pointed out that the Lingamaneni building was constructed at 19 m, whereas the maximum flood level is 22.6 m. Besides, the building rules were violated and so were the CRDA master plan regulations, they said.
Published - September 21, 2019 12:20 pm IST
