HYDERABAD: After dilly-dallying for almost one year over acquisition of land for construction of a new Secretariat building, the State government has decided to put the plan on hold, for the time being. About two months ago the government had zeroed in on the land belonging to Chest hospital in Erragadda. But it is said that Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao decided to put the decision, to abandon the existing Secretariat building near Hussainsagar, on hold temporarily.
“There is not much progress on construction of new Secretariat building,” said officials in the Roads and Buildings department. Though, the State government has earmarked `500 crore for construction of a new Secretariat building, it seems that the Chief Minister is having second thoughts about the construction of a new Secretariat.
It may be recalled that the Chief Minister had dropped enough hints on continuing with the existing Secretariat. While laying foundation stone for the 125-feet Ambedkar Statue on April 14, KCR had said that the Ambedkar statue would be located near Secretariat.
On Tuesday, the Chief Minister decided to lay foundation stone for Telangana martyrs memorial on 12 acres of land on the banks of Hussainsagar .
Attending a review meeting on Tuesday, Rao said the Telangana martyrs memorial should come up before the Secretariat. The Secretariat was situated near Hussainsagar, while the Budha statue is in Hussainsagar lake, the Ambedkar statue will come up near this.
It is the decision of Andhra Pradesh government to shift Secretariat staff to the new capital region that made the government reconsider its decision.
The AP Secretariat staff located in the existing Secretariat buildings will be shifted to the temporary Secretariat in Amaravati soon. Then, the TS government can use the AP Secretariat buildings too, sources said.
Initially, Chief Minister KCR had insisted that a new Secretariat should be constructed on a 100-acre land. he also directed the officials to prepare the design for the same. The officials proposed to construct a mammoth 20-lakh square feet building to house the Secretariat.