Softscape, Hard Scam: ₹799 Lakh Tender Triggers Backlash in Andhra Pradesh

Even plants would be ashamed witnessing this level of corruption. Officials themselves are shocked after seeing the tender floated by the Amaravati Development Corporation Limited (ADCL). A tender with an estimated cost of ₹799 lakh (i.e., ₹7.99 crore) has been called for softscaping and greenery maintenance from Ramavarappadu in Vijayawada to Gannavaram Airport. This estimate is for the 2025–2026 period. The distance between Ramavarappadu and Gannavaram Airport is approximately 13 kilometers. Many involved in the matter are saying that spending ₹8 crore for this stretch is extremely excessive and that there’s nothing more outrageous than this. Softscape refers to all living and green elements such as small trees, shrubs, flowers, and lawns. Even if the plants used are the most expensive and the design is top-class, most people argue that the cost should not be this high. Officials too say this is nothing but a plan to loot public funds.

Strangely, whenever Chandrababu Naidu becomes Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, he appoints retired IAS officer Lakshmi Parthasarathy as the Chairperson and Managing Director of ADCL. She served in this very same position during Naidu’s first term, and now in his second term, she has once again been given the same post. What’s more unusual is that during her first term too, reports surfaced alleging large-scale corruption in the procurement of plants when she was serving as Chairperson and MD of ADCL. Back then, tenders were floated to purchase Devaganneru plants worth ₹500 each for ₹2,800.

At that time, even a retired IFS officer reportedly resigned and left after being horrified by the corruption under the guise of greenery projects. According to official sources, all of this occurred in September 2018. Now, once again under Lakshmi Parthasarathy’s leadership, ADCL is accused of inflating prices under the name of softscaping and greenery maintenance, creating opportunities for large-scale corruption. While there are already allegations of major irregularities in Amaravati tenders, the creation of such inflated estimates even for softscaping and greenery is now causing a public uproar.