Naidu may stay put in riverfront residence

Demolition notice a matter between owner and CRDA, say TDP leaders

N. Chandrababu Naidu

Telugu Desam Party (TDP) president N. Chandrababu Naidu seems to be unfazed by the fresh notices served by the Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Development Authority (APCRDA) that it would raze the building in which he is staying if it was not demolished by the owner in a week.

TDP sources say that Mr. Naidu would stay put in that building as long as the owner did not ask him to vacate. The issue is between the owner and the State government, they said.

There are requisite permissions for the building, which was constructed much before the CRDA came into existence. Hence, the allegation that Mr. Naidu is living in an unauthorised construction was false. The notices were a ploy to force the former Chief Minister out of his residence, they contended.

The CRDA served notices to the owner Lingamaneni Ramesh, asking him to demolish in a week his guest house on the banks of River Krishna here.

The CRDA officials pasted 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.

‘Clear the air’

When contacted, senior TDP leader and former Minister Kalava Srinivasulu said the government was exhibiting “vengeful attitude.” It seems the government wanted to divert the attention of the public from its failures.

From leakage of question papers to the boat capsize in the River Godavari, the government has failed on many fronts, he alleged.

There are hundreds of properties, including government, in the CRDA region and on the banks of the river that were constructed in violation of rules, but none of them got the demolition notice. If the government’s intentions were genuine, it should come out with a White Paper on the unauthorised constructions across the State, including the Chief Minister’s estate at Idupulapaya in Kadapa district, he challenged.

It may be recalled that the issue began with the demolition of the Praja Vedika constructed on the banks of the Krishna.

The government refused to entertain an appeal by Mr. Naidu to Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy that it be retained as an annexe to his official residence as Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly.

The Chief Minister, however, at the Collectors’ conference said that the grievance hall would be pulled down.