Components of Praja Vedika could be reused, says Urban Development Minister Satyanarayana
VIJAYAWADA: Facing criticism for wasting public money due to demolition of Praja Vedika, the State government is planning to reuse most part of the structure, which remain usable. Municipal Administration and Urban Development Minister Botcha Satyanarayana said that a vacant site near Legislative Assembly at Velagapudi has been identified to build a conference hall similar to Praja Vedika.
For the record, BJP and Jana Sena, while appreciating the move to crack whip on illegal structures, appealed to the State government to reconsider its decision to raze down Praja Vedika, built with Rs 7.9 crore, as it would mean wastage of public money.
They suggested that instead of demolishing the structure, it could be put to public use. However, the Municipal minister clarified that whatever components of the structure could be reused, they will be fixed in the new premises.
He also admitted that there would be marginal loss of public money, saying that it wouldn’t be wise to use the entire structure, which was built flouting several norms and hiking prices. The minister also inspected the premises on Tuesday, during which the Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Development Authority officials apprised him of the details of proposed demolition.
Meanwhile Telugu Desam leaders criticised Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s decision to demolish ‘Praja Vedika’ (Grievance Hall), located adjacent to former chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s residence in Undavalli, stating that bringing down a building constructed with public money would not be a clever move.
Claiming that the statues of former chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy were installed throughout the State without any approvals and in violation of norms, the TDP leaders said that majority of the illegal constructions on the river bed cropped up during the tenure of YSR as chief minister and Malladi Vishnu as VGTM-UDA chairman.
TDP leaders including State party chief K Kala Venkata Rao and other leaders K Atchhannaidu, N Chinarajappa, Dokka Manikya Vara Prasad Rao, Devineni Umamaheswara Rao, Kalava Srinivasulu and Kollu Ravindra met Chandrababu Naidu at his residence on Tuesday to discuss the demolition of Praja Vedika among other issues.
They said that demolishing Praja Vedika, built with pubic money for hearing their grievances, would be a foolish act. Meanwhile, Vijayawada MP Kesineni demanded that the government demolish Praja Vedika only after razing all illegal constructions.
“Immediate destruction of Praja Vedika will affect the State exchequer. I personally feel that the government should demolish it only after constructing a new meeting hall,’’ he said in a facebook post. The TDP leaders also discussed the law and order situation in the State, including attacks on party activists,and seed scarcity.