CM warns against rising home rentals

Vijayawada: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu warned the house owners of Vijayawada and Guntur citities of invoking Rent Control Act if they tried to take advantage of shifting of Secretariat to the new capital.

Speaking at the Collectors Conference here on Thursday, Chandrababu Naidu turned down the request from some of the senior officers to exempt them from relocating in Amaravati by June 27, the scheduled day. He said he had been staying here for the past two years and it was time for them to come down. He said the government was providing space for the Secretariat staff, besides the Ministers at the new Secretariat building coming up in the capital area at Velagapudi. Though the government had planned to provide space for the Heads of Departments (HoDs) but was not able to complete the task due to various reasons.

However, he wanted them to find place in Vijayawada or Guntur and relocate as per schedule. He told the Collectors and senior officers that the Krishna and Guntur district Collectors have basic information on the space availability and the rents. He said that the two Collectors have prepared a chart of the available private space and rents and directed them to contact the Collectors.

When some of the officers brought to his notice on high rentals demanded by house owners in both the cities, Chandrababu Naidu said that he would not hesitate to invoke the Rent Control Act.