*Amaravati land claims misleading public with Rs 7,500 deal vs Rs 50 Cr projection*

Tadepalli, May 5: Former Minister and senior YSRCP leader Merugu Nagarjuna launched a sharp attack on Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, stating a large-scale exploitation in the name of Amaravati and accusing the government of prioritising personal interests over public welfare. Speaking at the YSRCP central office in Tadepalli, he said the government is projecting Amaravati land values at Rs 50 crore per acre, while land for a palatial residence being constructed in the name of Nara Brahmani was purchased at around Rs 7,500 per square yard for about five acres, raising serious questions about misleading the public and loss of revenue to CRDA. He further pointed out that nearly 1,000 square yards within the purchased land is identified as burial ground land in land pooling records, questioning how such land became part of the transaction and whether the same standards are being applied uniformly.

Nagarjuna stated that while the previous YS Jagan government allotted house sites to nearly 50,000 poor beneficiaries, the present government cancelled them citing “demographic imbalance,” yet ensured that no common residents are allowed near private properties by converting about 3,670 square yards of adjacent residential land into a green zone. He said this move deprived other farmers of rightful returnable plots and reflected a clear double standard, where restrictions apply to the poor but exemptions benefit those in power. He criticised what he described as attempts to prevent ordinary people from residing near influential individuals, calling it unjust and discriminatory.

He further stated that governance has lost focus on welfare, alleging that public funds are being diverted towards high-cost capital construction while people’s needs are neglected. Questioning the justification for spending Rs 2 lakh crore on basic infrastructure in Amaravati, he said that an alternative approach proposed by YS Jagan Mohan Reddy to develop a capital region at around Rs 20,000 crore would better serve public interest. He alleged that instead of prioritising balanced development, the government is using the capital project to expand private assets, while suppressing critical debate through political narratives and supportive media. Concluding, Nagarjuna said people are closely watching these developments and will respond appropriately to what he described as misuse of public resources and denial of equitable development.