HYDERABAD: The place for construction of new Secretariat complex is oscillating between Chest Hospital and defence lands. Chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Thursday requested Union defence minister Manohar Parrikar to spare around 60 acres of defence land in Secunderabad - presently used for Gymkhana grounds and Bison Polo grounds - for construction of new Secretariat complex.
In return, the state government offered the defence minister to give around 100 to 150 acres for Cantonment Board outside Hyderabad, near Golconda Fort.
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The Union defence minister responded positively for the proposal, when we wanted 60 acres of Gymkhana and Bison Polo ground lands for construction of the Secretariat,” TRS MP AP Jitender Reddy told reporters later. The chief minister decided to abandon the present Secretariat building and decided to construct a new building at the Chest Hospital in Erragadda. The State Cabinet already sanctioned `100 crore for the construction of integrated Secretariat, which houses all the departments, HODs and officers quarters.
However, the chief minister reportedly changed his mind later and decided to construct the Secretariat in Secunderabad.
This was mainly because Erragadda comes under flying zone as it was under the vicinity of Begumpet airport.
It remains to be seen whether the Defence ministry would accept the state government’s proposal to take alternative lands in lieu of lands in Secunderabad. If the Defence ministry agrees, then the new Secretariat would come up at Secunderabad, sources said. Apart from the defence lands, the chief minister also wanted Parrikar to sanction two Sainik schools for Telangana. Rao requested the Union minister to permit the state to lay water pipelines in defence lands for diverting Godavari waters from Yellampalli to city. Rao also requested to give permission to expand Karimnagar-Medak road, which requires defence lands. Rao also offered to give some lands in lieu for defence lands at Adibatla near TATA aerospace centre, Jitender Reddy said.
Modernisation of Policing: The chief minister along with DGP Anurag Sharma called on Union home minister Rajnath Singh and requested him to give funds for modernising the police force in the state.
Rao has already announced that he would take up signal-free traffic system in Hyderabad with an estimated cost of `20,000 crore.
In all, Rao wanted the Centre to give `34,000 crore for modernisation of police force. Rao and Rajnath Singh also discussed about the possible terrorist threat to Hyderabad. Rao explained the concept of She teams and requested Rajanath Singh to implement the assurances given to Telangana in the AP Reorganisation Act.