E-Paper
KCR to operate from state secretariat for first time after becoming Telangana CM
Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao to shift operations to the newly-built Secretariat building on Sunday. He will operate from there for the first time after assuming charge of Telangana’s CM in 2014.
Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao will officially be operating from the state Secretariat from Sunday. This will be the first time after he assumed the charge of the first chief minister of newly-formed Telangana state on June 2, 2014.
The chief minister will assume his chair at 1.20 pm in his chambers on the sixth floor of the Secretariat building, which is all set for inauguration at 6.08 am on the same day, an official release from the CMO said.
Various government departments, which have been operating from the nearby Burgula Rama Krishna Rao building for the last four years ever since the old Secretariat complex was razed, are now being shifted back to the newly-built Secretariat, named after architect of Indian Constitution Dr BR Ambedkar.
“The shifting of offices began on Wednesday and would be completed by Friday. The departmental heads have been assigned their respective chambers and offices and they would ensure that all the files and computers would be shifted without any scope for missing of important files and documents,” state roads and buildings minister Vemula Prashant Reddy said.
KCR, as the chief minister is popularly called, has earned the distinction of being the first chief minister who has not entered the Secretariat even once to perform his duties since he assumed the charge in June 2014.
He believed that the old Secretariat complex, which had been the seat of highest administration since the formation of combined Andhra Pradesh state, had negative energies and had brought bad luck to the previous chief ministers.
KCR’s Vastu advisor – Suddala Sudhakar Teja had advised the chief minister to demolish the old Secretariat complex and go in for a new building. “There are some serious Vaastu problems in the old secretariat. The buildings should have perfect ventilation, flow of natural energy from all sides, greenery and enough moving space,” Teja had once told HT.
“A healthy and good working environment will help the chief minister in effective decision-making,” he said.
Now, the latest Secretariat building houses the perfectly Vaastu-compliant CM’s chamber in the sixth floor of the state-of-the-art edifice, built at a cost of over ₹600 crore by renowned construction firm Shapoorji-Pallonji.
SALIENT FEATURES OF THE BUILDING
According to an official note from the CMO, the Secretariat complex was designed by Chennai-based architects Ponni Concessao and Oscar Concessao. Built on the lines of Telangana state high court, the new complex has a unique architecture with a blend of Indo-Saracenic, Deccani and Kakatiya styles.
It has as many as 34 domes – two of them, in the front elevation and the rear elevation being the tallest built at a height of 165 ft atop which the national emblem has been erected.
“The overall masterplan has been zoned for the Secretariat building, ancillary buildings for visitors, police personnel, fire department, crèche, utility building, temple, mosque and church,” the official note said.
The complex has been constructed with all modern amenities, including conference halls, visitors’ lounges, dining halls and others. The secretariat building has a total built-up area of 8,58,530 sq feet. The total height of the building complex is 265 ft.
“The entire secretariat complex is spread over 27.9 acres. The building covers 2.45 acres while landscaping covers 7.72 acres with a central courtyard lawn spread in 2.2 acres. The secretariat has a parking space for 560 cars and 700 two-wheelers,” the official note said.
