Pawan Kalyan Slams ₹453 Crore Rushikonda ‘Burden’

Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan sharply criticized the previous YSRCP government for wasting ₹453 crore on the controversial Rushikonda Hill project in Visakhapatnam, labeling it a “financial burden” on the state. During a Friday inspection of the opulent structures, originally built as a tourism resort but allegedly intended for former Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy’s personal use, Kalyan highlighted mismanagement and environmental violations.

Speaking at a press conference, Kalyan revealed that the project, which replaced revenue-generating tourism villas, incurred massive costs, including ₹90 crore and ₹70 crore for two of the seven planned blocks, with only four completed. He noted that the earlier resorts earned ₹7 crore annually, while the new complex’s electricity bill alone exceeds ₹1.8 crore yearly. “This extravagant expenditure, including ₹40 crore on interiors like a ₹40-lakh bathtub, has left Andhra Pradesh with a white elephant,” Kalyan stated, pointing to issues like peeling plaster and water leakage due to poor maintenance.

Kalyan accused the YSRCP of diverting funds from Transco, the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation, and the Horticulture and Tourism departments, alongside excavating 8.48 lakh cubic meters of soil, causing environmental damage now under scrutiny by the National Green Tribunal, High Court, and Supreme Court. He proposed repurposing the structures into a MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, Exhibitions) hub or a destination wedding venue to generate revenue, with plans to submit proposals to Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu.

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The controversy, ongoing since 2021, intensified after the TDP-Janasena alliance took power in 2024, with allegations of the project’s ₹500-crore cost being inflated for political gain. YSRCP claims the actual cost was ₹356.4 crore, refuting personal use allegations. No response has been issued by Jagan Mohan Reddy.

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