In yet another blow to the Jagan government, the Andhra Pradesh High Court on Thursday directed the state government to halt the move to construct the proposed guest house on a heritage land in Visakhapatnam.

The Andhra Pradesh government is planning to build a guest house for top bureaucrats on a 30-acre site
near the Thotlakonda Buddhist Complex near Visakhapatnam. The site, according to Archaeologists, is home to the Buddhist era structures dating back to the 3rd Century BC.

After petitions filed by archaeologists and activists, the HC in its verdict stayed any construction activity within the boundaries of the Thotlakonda site notified as a protected area by the state department of archaeology

The Andhra Pradesh government contended that the protected area is limited to an extent of 120 acres, and the land allotted for the government guest house (around 30 acres) is more than a kilometre away from the Buddhist sites.

The construction of the proposed new State guest house would in no way affect Thotlakonda, the government argued. The government signed an agreement with a consultant on September 4 to build the guest house, the officials are planning to begin the project on September 7.

The High Court on Thursday directed the state government to halt any move to build the guest house stating that it amounts to contempt of court.

The District Collector informed that as per the orders issued by Andhra Pradesh High Court, 120.88 acres are under the Andhra Pradesh Department of Archaeology and Museums. The rest of the land is owned by the AP state government. The upcoming State guest house will be built in the land assigned to the AP Police Department.