Government spends lavishly on Andhra chief minister Jagan’s houses as state reels from financial stress

Hyderabad: The cash-strapped government of Andhra Pradesh has come under fire from the opposition parties for spending Rs19.4 million (Dh997,913) on sprucing up of Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy’s two houses.

The state government has issued two orders releasing the money for various works, including at the camp residence at Tadepalligudem near Amaravati.

The spending has come in the backdrop of the government scrapping or delaying several major projects, including the development of Amaravati, the state capital.

Part of the amount was meant for electrical and electro-mechanical works at Jagan’s Lotus Pond residence in Hyderabad. According to the government order, Rs3.55 million would be spent on the works in Hyderabad.

Earlier, the government released Rs12 million for the annual maintenance of Jagan’s Tadepalligudem residence.

With this the total spending by the government for creating amenities at the chief minister’s residences has gone up to Rs130 million over the last six months. But the opposition Telugu Desam leaders have put the figure at Rs156 million.

The spending includes developing a helipad, laying roads and the security arrangements at the camp residence since Jagan became the chief minister earlier this year.

The main opposition TDP has questioned the rationale and the need of spending so much money on the personal needs of the Chief Minister when the state was reeling under the financial crunch.

In October, the government released Rs33.5 million to acquire some plan near Tadepalligudem residence to erect a “view cutter” as part of security arrangements. Same month the government had also spent Rs7.3 million on aluminium doors and widows at Jagan’s private residence and office block. It may be recalled that the Jagan had moved into this residence near Amaravati only earlier this year.

However, during the Telugu Desam rule from 2014 to 2019, about Rs300 million were spent on three houses of then chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu, including the one in Hyderabad.

Reddy, in a petition to the CBI court, had sought exemption from personal appearance in corruption cases on the ground that the state was facing financial stress and his appearance will put more burden on the exchequer.