Govt mulls CM's camp office at Rishikonda

Visakhapatnam: The state government is contemplating to have the Chief Minister's camp office at Rishikonda so that Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy could decide when to shift the executive capital to Visakhapatnam.

This was indicated here on Thursday by Education Minister Botcha Satyanarayana at a media conference.

Replying to a question about Rushikonda makeover works, the minister said that there was no ground for any objection from any quarter since the construction works that were on were on government land and for government project. It could be a CMO related office or a tourism project. What difference does it make to the Opposition? he questioned.

Denying the TDP charges that land grabbing was taking place at Rishikonda, the minister said the government had protected the land by taking up construction work.

He reiterated that by spending Rs 10,000 crore, Vizag can become the executive capital on par with Mumbai while it would cost Rs 5 lakh crore to develop Amaravati as the capital. Though this has been clearly explained, the TDP was politicising the issue and was organising 'Mahapadayatra' by farmers.

Botcha said it was as a deliberate exercise to raise the land value owned by the TDP leaders who invested in the region.

The north Andhra leaders, including former Union Minister P Ashok Gajapathi Raju, Tekkali MLA K Atchannaidu and former minister Bandaru Satyanarayana Murthy, questioning the YSRCP government should explain what mark they have left on the region in the form of development so far, he added.