Telangana Govt Finalises Plan For New Secretariat Complex

Hyderabad: The Telangana government has finally released the blueprint of the much-talked about new Secretariat complex, which the government wants to build at the Bison Polo grounds.

The new Secretariat will cost over Rs 300 crore and would have modern facilities. According to the proposed plan, the Chief Minister’s Office will be in the main building, along with offices of various ministers. The three-floor building will house all departments and secretaries.

Minister of Roads and Building Tummala Nageswara Rao said, "The Centre has agreed to give 38 acre of land, and in lieu of this the state government would give 596 acre to Centre."

“The new secretariat will bring together several departments under one roof, which will ease administration work and also be convenient to the visiting. The government can avoid paying crores of rupees as rent,” he added.

The Telangana government sparked controversy after Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao decided to abandon the existing Secretariat building due to vaastu reasons and ordered construction of new building.

Calling the decision anti-people and anti-environment, the Telangana unit of the Congress has been staging protests.

Speaking to CNN News 18, Congress spokesperson Krishank said, “This area is an environmental jungle and KCR wants to make it concrete jungle because of his vaastu. Since he became CM, he is wasting public money for his fantasies."

"What is the need to shift present Secretariat. Now, even Andhra Pradesh government has vacated and there is more space which can be used. We will not allow the Secretariat to be shifted here,” he added

The BJP has also opposed the Telangana government’s decision to shift the Secretariat. BJP spokesperson Krishna Sagar Rao said, "Chief Minister KCR lacks priority. He is wasting time and money and doing nothing for the welfare of the state and the people. We even doubt if the Defence Ministry has allocated any land to state government. Only CM’s office is saying and it cannot be trusted".

Last year, the CM created controversy when he shifted to new swanky Vaastu compliant residence-cum-office costing over Rs 50 crore.

In the past, CM's obsession with astrology, like official vehicles going for a change of colour from black to white or offerings to temple to fulfil his personal vows, had drawn stark criticism from opposition, activists and citizens over wasting public money.