Former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy today criticized the current Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu for planning an enormous new secretariat and assembly complex covering over 53 lakh square feet.
Jagan pointed out that Andhra Pradesh already has a fully functioning secretariat and assembly spread across around 6 lakh square feet, accommodating approximately 12,000 staff members.
“Despite this, Chandrababu is pushing for a new 53 lakh square feet complex, which is many times larger than the existing facilities. The staff numbers won’t change, so why build such a massive structure?” he questioned.
Highlighting the example of Telangana’s secretariat in Hyderabad, Jagan noted it spans about 8 lakh square feet and costed Rs 616 crore.
“If Chandrababu wanted a building of that scale, it would be understandable. But 53 lakh square feet is excessive,” he said.
Jagan also condemned the potential waste of public funds, reminding that the current assembly, secretariat, and high court buildings together cost around Rs 600 crore and are relatively new and functional.
“Building a new complex would waste all this Rs 600 cr. Then why this new project? This extravagant spending is only to benefit with continuous contracts, billing, and alleged kickbacks,” he alleged.
The proposed project, at Rs 4,000 per square foot, could cost over Rs 2,000 crore.
He pointed on unnecessary public expenditure and highlighted the gross wastage.
