HYDERABAD: Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Wednesday left for Delhi on a four-day tour. He will meet Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Thursday morning. Apart from Swachh Hyderabad programme, Rao is likely to request Parrikar to handover defence lands in Secunderabad to the State government for the construction of a new Secretariat.
Though the government has issued a GO earmarking Rs 100 crore for the construction of the Secretariat in place of the present Chest Hospital at Erragadda, the move has snowballed into a controversy. Besides, the construction of high-rise buildings in the vicinity of the Begumpet airport, sources said, may invite trouble.
It’s against this backdrop that the State government is said to be toying with the idea of seeking defence lands for the Secretariat. The defence ministry owns 56 acres, including 30 acres of Bison Polo ground, in Secunderabad. The State government’s thinking also seems to be that Secretariat in the heart of the city will be convenient for all. Sources said, Rao will also request the Defence Minister to sanction a Sainik school in Warangal. Besides Parrikar, Rao will also meet Union Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu and discuss the ‘Smart Cities’ concept with him.