The YSR Congress Party on Monday came down heavily on the Chandrababu Naidu government in Andhra Pradesh over the exorbitant cost of construction of the new Andhra Pradesh capital region development authority (APCRDA) central office and municipal complex buildings, which were inaugurated by the chief minister in Amaravati on Sunday.
Former MLA Malladi Vishnu alleged that the APCRDA building was constructed at an exorbitant cost unprecedented anywhere in the country, accusing the government of extravagant spending and corruption.
“How can a debt-ridden government construct such luxurious buildings?” he questioned, adding that the state funds were being misused for commissions and kickbacks.
Vishnu claimed that the Rs 338.14 crore APCRDA building, built at a cost of Rs 11,002 per square feet, is clear proof of Naidu’s large-scale corruption.
He compared the figure to metros like Bengaluru and Mumbai, where even star hotels are built at around Rs 4,500 per sq ft.
“Raising project estimates and pocketing commissions has become a habit for Chandrababu Naidu,” Vishnu alleged.
“Building this structure on loans is like spending borrowed money for a feast while leaving the public hungry,” he remarked.
The YSRCP leader further claimed that the APCRDA office was symbolic of Naidu’s real estate business under the guise of Amaravati’s development.
“They say urban development and municipal departments will operate from this new HOD complex. But there is no clarity on which departments will function from there, how many employees will work, or how effectively the building will be utilized despite hundreds of crores spent,” he said.
Vishnu said the administration was constructing massive structures at inflated costs merely to project a false image of grandeur.
He argued that such unproductive expenditure would bring no real benefit to governance, and would instead impose a heavy burden on the exchequer due to high maintenance costs.
“With thousands of square feet of built-up space, the government will now have to spend huge sums on upkeep,” he warned, questioning whether the state had calculated the long-term expenses involved.
Vishnu said that while Chief Minister Naidu boasts of building Amaravati to international standards, he has actually turned it into a symbol of luxury and wasteful expenditure.
“Nowhere else in the country are such massive amounts being spent on buildings and roads. These inflated estimates and borrowings will eventually be forced upon the people as debt,” he said.
