Decentralisation Is Not Rs 500-cr Palace In A Single Place: Lokesh

IT minister N. Lokesh mocked at former CM and YCP boss Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy’s definition of decentralization and said that it does not mean building a palace with Rs 500 crore expenditure.

Speaking in the Assembly, Lokesh reminded that Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu during his previous stint from 2014-2019, made it clear that there would only one capital for Andhra Pradesh but development will be decentralized.

Accordingly, several projects and industries were set up in different districts, he said.

Since reports of construction work going on at Rushikonda hill emerged, the TDP and Jana Sena had been doubtful about the purpose of the palatial building and the heavy expenditure invested on it.

With one bathroom tub costing Rs 36 lakh and a commode costing Rs 12 lakh and chandeliers also costing in lakhs of rupees, the authorities are unable to fathom the reason behind such heavy investment. During his recent visit to Vizag, the CM said that it was a ‘colossal affair’ and appeared to have been constructed for the personal use of Jagan Mohan Reddy.

Though Lokesh had not gone into the intricacies of the expenditure on the Rushikonda Palace, he tried to explain how the TDP government tried to ensure that development was uniformly distributed across the state.

Kia Industries was set up in the backward district of Anantapur which provided employment to thousands of people, renewable energy projects were set up in Kurnool, electronics manufacturing units were established in Chittoor and Kadapa district, wind turbine manufacturing unit was sanctioned to Nellore district and aquaculture was heavily promoted in the twin Godavari districts.

In the backward region of North Andhra, IT industry, medical devices manufacturing and pharma units were established in a large number, he said.

Similarly, the Central government-sponsored educational institutions have also been allocated evenly in the state, he said, adding that distribution of wealth and assets, that can generate employment evenly across the state is decentralization.

With a visionary like Chandrababu Naidu at the helm of affairs and his entire team supporting and working towards collective goals, Andhra Pradesh can dream of a bright future in the coming years.