AP govt takes over building; ignores Naidu's plea

AP government took possession of a building called Praja Vedika by ignoring former CM's plea to declare it as the residence annexe of the opposition leaders for conducting official meetings. Meanwhile, TDP alleged that this attempt of the new government has shown their vengeful attitude towards the opposition.

Amaravati(Andhra Pradesh):The Y S Jaganmohan Reddy government in Andhra Pradesh on Friday took possession of a building, virtually ignoring the Leader of the Opposition N Chandrababu Naidu's plea for declaring the public property as his "residence annexe."

The Telugu Desam Party(TDP) cried foul over this issue by saying that the government took possession of the building without any information.

The government is scheduled to conduct the conference of District Collectors in the Praja Vedika on June 24 and, as such, took over the premises for making necessary arrangements, official sources said.

Called "Praja Vedika", the structure was built by the AP Capital Region Development Authority at a cost of over Rs 5 crore, to be used essentially for official meetings by the Chief Minister.

The conferences of District Collectors are usually held due to lack of alternative facilities in the new capital Amaravati.

Having converted it into the TDP office, Naidu wrote to the Chief Minister on June 5, requesting that the premises be declared as "residence annexe" of the Leader of the Opposition.

The previous TDP government built Praja Vedika, reportedly in violation of the National Green Tribunal orders that prohibited any permanent structures on the riverbed.

When in opposition, the YSR Congress had objected to the use of Praja Vedika for TDP activities, but to no avail.

During the recent elections, YSRC had petitioned the Election Commission(EC) on the issue, but the latter declined to intervene, citing the (then) Chief Ministers 'security'.

Even after it was routed in the elections, TDP continued to organize its activities in the government building.

Naidu, in his letter to the CM, requested that Praja Vedika be declared as the residence annexe of the leader of the opposition "to facilitate me to meet legislators, visitors, common public and discharge my duties".

He pleaded that his request "may be considered positively" and appropriate instructions be issued to the authorities concerned, but did not receive a reply.

The Collectors conference was originally slated to be held in the Secretariat at Velagapudi but was shifted to Praja Vedika due to space constraints, official sources pointed out.

Senior TDP leaders, who came to the Vedika to hold a party meeting on Friday evening, were denied entry, stating that arrangements for the Collectors conference were being made.

A TDP release letter said that its leaders condemned the governments 'vengeful attitude' in taking over the Vedika without any information.

"Chandrababu Naidu has already written a letter to the government requesting that the Vedika be allotted to him. But, at a time when he is on a foreign tour, the government vengefully took possession of the building.

Even the Central government does not act in this manner," the release quoted the TDP leaders.