Even as Leader of the Opposition N Chandrababu Naidu is taking social media route to level criticism against Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on “frivolous expenditure” for beautifying his residence with government money at a time when the State coffers are reportedly turning empty, TDP chief’s own expenditure on the camp offices in Undavalli and other places, when he was Chief Minister, has surfaced.
As against the Rs 73 lakh spent on equipping doors, windows, and furniture in the residence of Jagan Mohan Reddy located at Tadepalle, the Chandrababu Naidu government, according to sources, has spent Rs 99.91 crore on his camp offices in Vijayawada, Undavalli, Hyderabad (camp office), Hyderabad (Jubilee Hills residence), Hyderabad (Madinaguda farmhouse) and Naravaripalle (camp office).
Pointing out at various government orders issued during the five years of the TDP rule, sources said Rs 21,59,22,414 was spent on furnishing the camp offices of Chandrababu Naidu and for their annual maintenance.
A whopping Rs 14.65 crore was spent on remodelling the irrigation department’s Vijayawada circle office to Chief Minister’s camp office.
Another Rs 2.99 crore was spent on additional works taken up for security purposes at Vijayawada Camp Office when Naidu was chief minister.
However, within a few months of those works were commissioned, Chandrababu Naidu shifted to his residence at Undavalli, which also acted as his new camp office.
In the Hyderabad camp office (Lake View Guest House), where he spent a very little time compared to other places, Rs 67.5 lakh was spent just for solar power fencing. Sources said just the visitor chairs for the use of CM Camp Office in Vijayawada in 2016 cost `4.94 lakh to the State exchequer.
The bills footed during Chandrababu Naidu’s visit to New Delhi were far more than any Chief Minister before him, sources said and added the amount spent on some articles, mostly mementos, and shawls purchased from Lepakshi amounted to Rs 4.41 crore. The bills were only for the purchases made during his visits to New Delhi in March and June 2017.
The YSRC hit out at the TDP president for questioning the money spent for carrying out works at the Chief Minister’s residence.
Information and Public Relations Minister Perni Venkataramaiah alleged that over Rs 99 crore was spent from the government coffers for Naidu’s needs when he was Chief Minister during 2014-19.
Naidu had earlier tweeted that Rs 15.65 crore of public money was allegedly spent on Jagan’s palatial home. He had slammed Jagan over his “five months’ misrule” and said that the “Nero of Andhra Pradesh” is busy playing video games at his palatial home.