Deputy CM conducts sudden inspection of Rushikonda palace

Visakhapatnam: After umpteen vain attempts made by Jana Sena Party chief K Pawan Kalyan to enter the opulent Rushikonda palace during YSRCP’s tenure, he could finally get into the premises on Monday (October 21) after becoming the Deputy Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh.

Violating environmental norms and replacing the income-generating AP Tourism resorts, the previous YSRCP government built the palatial palace in the garb of readying another coveted tourism project.

For the past five years, strict security was maintained at the palace equal to the one followed at the Line of Control.

The Opposition leaders were strictly restricted from getting anywhere closer to the premises during the previous regime.

Apparently, whenever the JSP supremo tried to visit Rushikonda in the past five years, the police acted tough citing security reasons.

After wrapping up his trip to Gurla mandal in Vizianagaram district on Monday to offer solace to the families who lost their members in the diarrhoea outbreak, the Deputy Chief Minister took a sudden decision to visit Rushikonda palace along with Visakhapatnam MP M Sribharat, Elamanchili MLA Sundarapu Vijay Kumar and JSP corporator Peethala Murthy Yadav, among others.

Speaking to the authorities concerned, the Deputy Chief Minister took stock of the maintenance and other details of the blocks at the hills.

He also enquired about the means to convert the palace into a revenue generating resource. Soon, a decision on this is likely to be made after discussing with Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu.

Meanwhile, for the sanitation workers, who were present at the hills during the Deputy Chief Minister’s visit, it turned out to be a special moment for them as they got a rare opportunity to take pictures with him.