Massive corruption in Amaravati Project

Srikakulam, April 17: YSRCP Doctors’ Wing President and former Minister Seediri Appalaraju has accused the coalition government, led by  N. Chandrababu Naidu, of unprecedented corruption and financial mismanagement in the Amaravati capital project. 
Speaking to the media here, Appalaraju condemned the government for massive looting under the guise of Amaravati’s construction, labeling it an injustice to both the farmers of the region and the entire state. 
He stated that the government has engaged in rampant corruption by arbitrarily inflating project costs to fill their pockets, finalizing tenders with inflated estimates, and awarding contracts to favored companies. Appalaraju stated that such levels of corruption are unparalleled in the country and questioned whether such blatant looting has ever been witnessed globally.
Appalaraju highlighted specific examples of financial irregularities, noting that the state secretariat, previously estimated at Rs. 2,700 crore, now costs Rs. 4,700 crore, while Amaravati’s overall construction estimates have surged from Rs. 44,000 crore to Rs. 77,000 crore—a 75% increase. He challenged whether such a drastic escalation in costs has ever occurred anywhere else and described this as an outrageous act of plunder. To facilitate this looting, the government scrapped judicial preview and reverse tendering processes, enabling advance mobilization payments that Appalaraju termed as preemptive corruption.
He further accused the government of neglecting development works initiated by YSRCP in other regions, leaving them abandoned. Sectors like education, healthcare, and agriculture have been ignored as the government chases commissions, pushing the public back into hardship. While the state’s citizens suffer, Appalaraju alleged that government leaders are indulging in extravagance. He called on intellectuals, youth, and the public to question these injustices and hold the government accountable for its actions.