

HYDERABAD: The employees of the Telangana State Southern Power Distribution Company Limited (TSSPDCL) are set to vacate their offices at the Mint Compound by the end of this week, as the State government readies itself to take over the building for construction of new Secretariat complex.
An official from the TSSPDCL’s SE operation south circle, which is housed on the 2.5-acre Mint Compound, adjacent to the present Secretariat complex, told Express that they were informed by their chairman a few days ago to vacate the premises.
“We have already started the process, and we have to do it by the end of this week,” he said.
As of now there is no clarity where the office would be shifted, with the TSSPDCL office in Erragadda being one of the offices in contention for the same.
“There has always been a question mark on this building since the Secretariat was vacated,” he said adding that he was not aware whether the building would be demolished.
When asked if there were any government orders asking them to vacate the premises, the official said there were none, and that the orders were given orally. However, officials said that the government is dealing only with the with the top brass.
Constructed over a hundred years ago, the building was known as the Osmania Technical College. However, after the Osmania Technical College was shifted, and in 1940s, the building was taken over by the electricity board of Andhra Pradesh. A senior official from the power sector, said structurally the building was strong. “The government should make adaptive reuse of the structure and various other offices located on the premises,” he said.