The Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Development Authority (APCRDA) authorities on Saturday served another demolition notice regarding the unauthorized construction in the residence of former chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu in Undavalli, Amravati.
The APCRDA addressed the notice to Lingamaneni Ramesh and Madhira Venugopala Veerabhadra Rao, asking the property owners to remove the unauthorised construction within seven days of the issue of order, failing which APCRDA will remove the same.
According to the order, the respondents had asked for time to produce documents substantiating their defense, but had failed to do so.
Naidu’s residence in Undavalli is a rented accommodation and was constructed by the Lingamaneni group, a construction firm with close ties to Naidu.
The notice was issued in alleged violation of environmental laws in the construction of the villa on the banks of Krishna river. The surrounding houses had also received notices from the APCRDA. The APCRDA also demolished ‘Praja Vedika’, the people’s grievances cell located a few meters away from Naidu’s rented residence.
The order issued by APCRDA Commissioner was pasted on the house as Naidu or his family members were not available to receive the same.
The landlords were issued a show-cause notice on June 27. The latest order mentions that the reply submitted to the notice was not to the satisfaction of the authority.
The order set aside various claims made by the property owners. In response to the claim that there is no contamination of water or any injury, the order says, “In the recent floods in August 2019, due to your unauthorised construction, the premises caused obstruction to the flow of water and also flooded your premises.”
According to the order, during the inspection of the premises by the APCRDA staff, unauthorised constructions and developments were found in violation of various rules and regulations.
The order identifies unauthorised RCC residential buildings on the ground and first floor, along with a swimming pool and ground floor dressing room etc measuring 1.318 acres. It says the unauthorised construction is within the Maximum Flood Level (MFL) of the Krishna river.
The TDP leader Naidu had been living in the house on lease since he shifted here from Hyderabad in 2016. ‘Praja Vedika’, a government building adjacent to Naidu’s residence, used as an annexe of the then Chief Minister’s house to hold official meetings was constructed at the cost of Rs 5 crore was demolished in June on the orders of Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. Reddy had said the demolition drive would cover all illegal buildings on the banks of Krishna river at Undavalli.
Jagan’s YSRCP cruised to a landslide victory in Assembly elections in the state – its first since the 2014 bifurcation. His party won 151 of the 175 seats in the Assembly.
Naidu’s Telugu Desam Party (TDP) could manage to win only 23 seats. The TDP was also routed in the Lok Sabha elections, bagging just 3 of the 25 seats in the state.
The TDP has alleged that the government was acting with political vendetta and is issuing notice even though the matter is pending in the High Court.