Telangana Government To Work From BRKR Bhavan Till New Secretariat Is Constructed 

Hyderabad: The Telangana government mechanism including all ministries and the chief minister office will function from Burgula Ramakrishna Rao Bhavan from November until the new secretariat is built.

The government is shifting all the departments to BRKR Bhavan on a war footing. Once the shifting is over, the secretariat will be demolished and new building complexes will be built on the land. The departments of Andhra Pradesh government working from some blocks in the existing secretariat are also being shifted to Hermitage building near the Assembly.

Government has reportedly found the BRKR Bhavan located right in front of the secretariat, beside GHMC office, convenient for shifting. However, some ministers were reluctant to move into BRKR Bhavan as it is an old building. But the government rejected all the requests for different buildings and 80 percent of the ministries including CM office are being accomodated in the building.

Irrigation minister and roads and buildings ministers are allocated ENC office building in Erra Manzil. Aranya Bhavan will accomodate forest minister.

The BRKR Bhavan has a working space of 1.50 lakh square feet, but 80,000 sft is under AP government control. Efforts are on to provide an alternative space for AP government offices to occupy the entire building for TS government.

CM office and both the deputy CMs will be accomodated on the ninth floor of the building.

Congress Challenges Demolition of Secretariat In High Court

The Hyderabad High Court on Thursday admitted a PIL filed by Congress MLA T. Jeevan Reddy and Komatireddy Venkat Reddy against the demolition of the secretariat. They claimed to be the aggrieved by the action of the TS government in seeking to demolish the existing buildings in Secretariat complex to construct a new building in its place.

Sarasani Satyam Reddy, senior counsel for Jeevan Reddy, while making a mention before a division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Ramesh Ranganathan and Justice A. Shankar Narayana on Thursday said that they have moved a PIL against the proposed demolition of the existing buildings in Secretariat complex.

While urging the bench to direct the Registry to list the case on Friday for hearing in view of the fact that the respondents are taking hectic steps to demolish the buildings and construct a new Secretariat which is said to be on account of vastu and for other undisclosed sentiments.

He said that after formation of Telangana, the state government has spent huge amounts on correcting the vastu defects by constructing a separate gate and by closing the existing gate and other structures and now has again sought to demolish the buildings under the occupation of AP government after getting them vacated. This, he said, will put a heavy burden on the exchequer. The bench directed the registry to list the matter for hearing on Friday.