The Story Behind Chandrababu’s Illegal Lingamaneni Residence Gaining Legitimacy

Undavalli: Reports say that the building permit documents shown by the TDP leaders regarding the building where Chandrababu resided which is located on the embankment of river Krishna are invalid.

CRDA officials have made it clear that the permissions shown are not appropriate for the construction of buildings on the river embankment. The CRDA officials say that without taking permission for the basic building plan, the other permissions issued hold no validity.

TDP MLA Atchennaidu and other senior TDP leaders who have been trying to prove that their Chief's residence is a legal construction, showed proofs like the Panchayathi permission, an NOC from the Water Resources department and Nala tax receipts of Rs 18 lakh. Though the buildings are said to have been constructed after the permit was issued in 2007, it was not actually recorded in the Panchayat records. If the permissions were recorded in the Panchayat records, then it would have been approved. Now the CRDA officials are of the opinion that the permit documents shown are probably forged. It is said that the CRDA might seek records from the Undavalli Panchayath and verify them soon.

CRDA officials have made it clear that just by paying Conversion Tax on farmland to convert them into residential land is not sufficient for constructing a building. Another fact that became known is that the No Objection Certificate (NOC) issued by the Department of Water Resources was only stating that it had no objection to a temporary construction on the riverbank, but that was not meant to be construed for building a permanent one.

The Panchayath permission shown by the building owner Lingamaneni Ramesh and the TDP leaders was given only for constructing a swimming pool and a changing room. Then the question that arises is that if permission was only for the pool and the changing room , that cannot be extended to constructing a ground plus two floors, that too to build a residence for a person of the level of a chief minister of a state. It is evident that the that the construction of the G+2 building along with the helipad and ten sheds is a blatant violation of building rules and norms.

Lingamaneni Ramesh who is the head of the Lingamaneni Estates and is said to be close to Chandrababu Naidu, owned 1.31 acres of land in survey numbers 250, 254, 272, 274 and 290/1 in an area which was less than hundred meters downstream from the Krishna River, below the Prakasam Barrage.

On May 10, 2007, he obtained a NOC from the Department of Water Resources to build a swimming pool on the land. Instead he built a ground plus one floor and later extended it to the second floor.

Devineni Umamaheswara Rao, who was then the Minister of Water Resources during the TDP regime, announced in March 2015 that action would be taken against 22 illegally constructed buildings, which included the building where Chandrababu Naidu resided. The then Tadepally Tahsildar issued show cause notices as to why these building which were in violation of building plans, rules and the River Conservation Act should not be demolished. Even the directions of the National Green Tribunal were ignored by them. However, Chandrababu Naidu had moved into the illegal building shortly after the notices were issued.

The building was later renovated at a cost of over Rs 20 crore, where Rs 3.30 Crore was spent for a 33 KC sub station, construction of new roads and a special drainage system where the outlet was given into the river. It is said the owner Lingamaneni Ramesh benefited in many ways by Chandrababu, in exchange for the building.

It is reported that 700 apartments in the Rain Tree Park venture, opposite the Nagarjuna University, which belonged to Ramesh were rented out as official residences for government officers. He received rentals of Rs.40,000 per month for each flat. It is also alleged that the Ramesh benefited huge sums in insider trading in the name of capital development.

As per the scheme 804 acres at Kaja and Kanteru villages were purchased at low rates and converted into land estates. These lands were prevented from falling under the land acquisition purview. It is also alleged that Chandrababu's family members owned major shares in these plots in the estates. Lingamaneni Ramesh, took on lease more than 300 acres of land which had limestone deposits at Kaja village from the farmers and later bought them over during the time TDP was in power.

Notices were issued to the owners of Tulasi Gardens, Aqua Devils Association, Sagar Water Plant, Satyananda Ashram, Saiva Kshetra and others were issued notices CRDA officials on Saturday. It is known that 10 buildings were earlier notified on Friday. The CRDA plans to first inspect the guesthouse belonging to former MP Gokaraju Gangaraju of the BJP and issue notices to him. Of the four buildings, one has previously been given limited permits. Notices will be issued for the remaining illegal structures on Monday.

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