Andhra Sinking in Debt Due to CBN's Amaravati Scam

AP CM Chandrababu Naidu-led coalition government’s extravagant spending has reached alarming levels, with Amaravati emerging as the biggest symbol of financial excess in Andhra Pradesh.

Speaking at the YSRCP central office in Tadepalli, YSRCP senior leader and former minister Sailajanath claimed that the amount being spent on a single Secretariat complex in Amaravati could build nearly 15 Telangana Secretariats or six Parliament buildings. He urged the government to immediately abandon what he described as an “unrealistic and financially burdensome” Amaravati model and continue governance from the existing Secretariat, Assembly and High Court buildings instead of constructing new luxury complexes.

He said that if the government is genuinely serious about curbing wasteful expenditure, as recently advised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the first step should be scrapping the extravagant Amaravati construction plans and adopting the “MAVIGUN” proposal suggested by Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, which he described as a more practical and financially viable alternative.

Sailajanath questioned why Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan and Minister Nara Lokesh continue travelling separately to Hyderabad in special flights and helicopters almost every day instead of travelling together to reduce public expenditure.

He also questioned the need for separate camp offices for all three leaders in both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, asking whether their maintenance costs, staff salaries and administrative expenses were becoming an unnecessary burden on taxpayers.

The former minister further criticised the government for organising large-scale pension distribution events every month despite allegedly not sanctioning a single new pension in the last two years. He alleged that crores of rupees are being spent on publicity campaigns, advertisements in newspapers and television channels, giant hoardings and event management exercises aimed solely at political image-building.

Sailajanath suggested that government reviews and official meetings could instead be conducted through video conferences to minimise unnecessary expenditure. He accused the government of spending recklessly on Amaravati while neglecting farmers, welfare programmes and irrigation needs across the state.

He claimed that the government is spending nearly Rs 20,000 per square foot on Secretariat construction and over Rs 50 crore per kilometre for roads in Amaravati, while national highways are built at significantly lower costs. He also criticised the Cabinet decision to spend Rs 2,540 crore on glass facades for Secretariat buildings, saying it was an insult to drought-hit Rayalaseema, where irrigation projects such as Handri-Neeva and Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation continue to remain neglected.

Taking a swipe at the Amaravati model, Sailajanath remarked that while cities elsewhere build pipelines to bring water into urban areas, Amaravati strangely requires lifts and drainage systems to pump water out.

He also demanded transparency regarding funds previously collected in the name of Amaravati, including donations, hundis and public contributions, asking the government to disclose how much money was collected and how it was utilised.

The YSRCP leader asserted that real wealth creation comes from strengthening farmers, ensuring remunerative crop prices, supporting aqua and horticulture farmers, and enhancing purchasing power through welfare schemes such as Cheyutha, Aasara, Amma Vodi, Kapu Nestham and Matsyakara Bharosa implemented during the YSRCP regime.

Sailajanath concluded by stating that Amaravati should not become a vehicle for enriching a few individuals and benamis at the expense of the entire state. He warned that continuing with what he termed an impractical capital model while neglecting public welfare and regional balance would push Andhra Pradesh deeper into debt and financial distress.