The Andhra Pradesh High Court on Wednesday directed the state government not to take any final decision on the future use of the controversial Rushikonda buildings in Visakhapatnam, even as the government continues the process of identifying possible options for their utilisation.
The buildings, constructed during the previous YSRCP government’s tenure, have remained at the centre of political and legal controversy.
After the NDA coalition government came to power in Andhra Pradesh, a Cabinet Sub-Committee was constituted to examine how the properties should be utilised.
Following consultations with various stakeholders, the committee reportedly favoured using the buildings for hospitality and tourism-related purposes.
Senior representatives from the hotel and hospitality industry were also consulted as part of the exercise.
Meanwhile, the High Court heard a public interest litigation challenging the construction of the buildings on the grounds that they allegedly violated Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) norms.
During the hearing before the Chief Justice’s Bench, the state government informed the court that it had only initiated an Expression of Interest (EOI) process to explore possible uses for the buildings and that no final decision had yet been taken.
Taking note of the government’s submission, the High Court declined to stay the ongoing EOI process at this stage.
However, it made it clear that the government should not take any final decision regarding the utilisation of the buildings until further orders.
The Rushikonda project had attracted intense political criticism during its construction, with opposition parties at the time alleging that the buildings were developed by damaging the coastal environment and violating environmental regulations.
After the change in government, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan and several other leaders visited the premises to inspect the structures.
However, despite extensive discussions and recommendations by the Cabinet Sub-Committee, the government has not yet officially finalised how the buildings will be put to use.
