Jaganmohan Reddy's palatial residence, dubbed 'Sheesh Mahal', faces scrutiny for alleged environmental violations and excessive spending. The 500-crore structure, spread across 9.8 acres, features luxury amenities including imported materials and a private helipad. Critics question the expenditure in a debt-ridden Andhra Pradesh, while the government explores options for its future use.
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00:00with former Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy's palatial home is 500 crore.
00:04Shish Mahal is under scanner. Political feud over opulent Andhra Pradesh palace.
00:10Jagan's hill palace violates green norms. Crawls of deaths under Jagan
00:15though Shish Mahal was prioritized. Gold ascends to Italian marble in the hill palace.
00:22These are pictures right now of his palatial house and questions are being raised on the 500
00:29crore palace built by Jagan Mohan Reddy. I'm going straight across to my colleague
00:39Apoorva Jayachandran getting us more details on that story this morning. Apoorva talk to
00:44us about the kind of scrutiny on this palatial house of Jagan Mohan Reddy.
00:51What about the violations of environmental norms? Get us more details.
00:59Well Sneha in fact this entire building let me remind you was spread across nine point over 9.8
01:06acres and is roughly touted to be made at an expense of rupees 500 crores and what we are
01:14getting to learn is that there have been several you know cases that had been filed especially
01:22regarding this because there had been alleged environmental violations that had taken place
01:28given that the CRZ you know area out there there are several zones that zone one zone two zone three
01:35and the initial structure was given only for what was said to be a tourism hotel or a tourism plaza
01:44as well what had to be developed and now what we are getting to learn is that this had been
01:49transformed into a residence cum offices as well over 12 mega bedrooms and you know a 300 seater
01:58conference hall a 55 seater conference hall each of them spread across four major blocks that
02:06the residential block alone was three blocks that is you know Vijayanagara block A, Vijayanagara
02:13block B, Vijayanagara block C all of them that were only set for the residential you know
02:20accommodation for then former chief minister Jaganmohan Reddy is what the Telugu Desam party
02:25has you know stated and not only that in fact there had also been several price points that
02:31had been put out for this extravaganza that had been constructed there remember 500 crores is not
02:38a very small amount especially given that the state of Andhra Pradesh has been a debt-ridden
02:43state and a moment from now Patavi Ram from the TDP is also joining us this morning thank you for
02:48your time your response now to the kind of spotlight that's there on this palatial bungalow
02:54500 crores spent on it and also environmental norms violations that are now being reported
03:01yeah Sneha good morning morning see uh uh till now in the past we have seen palaces of Saddam
03:07Hussein palaces of Karachi and today unfortunately in India you're seeing the palace that was built
03:15by Jagan Reddy uh to be used as his uh mansion uh for him to stay I mean if you look at see
03:23the entire world was shocked to look at these things after seeing the things that were you
03:28know placed inside for his personal use can you imagine you know a huge massage table for
03:35a chief minister can you imagine a bathtub worth around 40 50 lakhs for a chief minister to you
03:40know have his bath with a ocean view the commode which are used were around 15 to 20 lakhs
03:47spending 500 crores on his own palace when the government state government is reeling under
03:53huge debt of more than 10 lakh crore who will do that it is only Jagan Reddy I mean the entire
04:00world was shocked instead of you know spending money on things that are useful for the people
04:06creating infrastructure that will be beneficial for the people he had created you know these
04:11kind of palaces for his own use I mean looting thousands of crores for his own you know
04:18and you know spending money like this so definitely one of the the kind of uh money
04:25that was wasted on these kind of uh extravaganzas will be you know this this this the government
04:32has taken it very seriously and now it has become a very uh big question for us I mean how to
04:38you know after seeing all this even to put it to a different kind of a use is a huge task for us
04:43so I mean that is the reason why Jagan Reddy was reduced from 151 to 11 feet because people
04:50are going to do how is this government now going to prove this entire matter
04:56yeah we have we have already initiated an inquiry uh the manner in which this money was wasted was
05:03spent so and already an inquiry is going on into this and also see after spending so much of money
05:13these these buildings have to be put to an alternate use also we cannot just leave them
05:18like that so that also has become a huge task for us I mean putting them to a different use
05:23how to use them because ultimately they have to be utilized in some way or the other
05:28after spending so much of public money you can't just leave it like that so that also
05:31has become a huge task so the government is also exploring various options on how to
05:36you know utilize them how to extract some kind of a revenue out of it so those kind of things are
05:41being worked on yeah I'm going to thank you for joining in with your views on that we'd also wait
05:46to hear from the YSRCP on how they look at the government the fact that the government is now
05:52going to probe this matter and of course accountability needs to be fixed on at the
05:56end of the day whose money was spent was this from the taxpayers money what about the exchequer
06:01what about the coffers running empty in a state which is cash strapped already
06:05a ground report filed by my colleague Apoorva let's take a look
06:10Italian marble tiling 10 acres of land that had been set for this Rishikonda palace which
06:19included imported granite 210 years posse rupees 15 lakhs each cozy interiors designed at a cost
06:29of rupees 33 crores imported furniture spacious washrooms with commodes each costing rupees 15
06:37landscaping with exotic imported plants an advanced sound system a homogeneous
06:45home occasion screen among several of the features the design which has been spread across
06:53these four major blocks see lavish chandeliers conference rooms and several amenities that have
07:01been set up right from the corner of the CMO office Apoorva getting in those details Apoorva
07:08we just saw you know your ground report it's absolutely mind-boggling on how the the former
07:14chief minister has you know made this house for himself it's palatial plus it violates
07:19environmental norms i just want to ask you what's been their argument what's been their defense
07:24well in fact the YSRCP we just spoke to the former senior minister there yesterday while
07:34talking about Rishikonda he says that you know it all has been done as per protocol there had
07:40been a three-member committee that had been set up to inspect the area to look into all possible
07:47norms and regulations the YSR the YSRCP on their stand go ahead and say that they haven't
07:52violated it not only that the most important question that the TDP is now battling towards
07:57is that what will now happen to this place remember it's not you know an office building
08:02that that we're seeing it's something that looks like a very grand home as well you know from the
08:08bathtub to the you know a gold accent interiors and whatnot all and a private helipad all of this
08:14that had been you know constructed and now what the question that comes for the TDP government is
08:21what are they going to do with this kind of a building and this kind of a structure that has
08:25been built atop the hill amidst you know allegations of you know environmental violations
08:31the YSRCP there just says that you know it's it's not that hasn't been any violations number one
08:37number two the state government can in fact go ahead and put it out for either VVIPs who come in
08:44be it from you know the center you know from the center be the president the prime minister or the
08:49home minister who happen to be visiting Vizag as it is one of the important naval coast regions
08:54out here you know they can either come here and you know be reside at the Rishikonda palace is
09:00what the YSRCP is saying in fact they also go on and claim that the TDP led NDA government is yet
09:07to find a solution for this when there's already a solution at hand this kind of a structure is
09:13meant for you know top VVIPs who are coming into Vizag time and again and that this can be
09:21a perfect opportunity to use to showcase that Andhra Pradesh is one such state that has all
09:28of these amenities for the dignitaries