Minister for Handlooms and Textiles P. Shankar Rao is being allotted his chambers in “A” block of the Secretariat, though he was keen on taking the office accommodation of the former Adviser to Government, K. V. P. Ramachandra Rao, in the ground floor of the ‘D' block.
Upset over the allotment of chambers in “L” block, the Minister allegedly hurled expletives at R.M. Gonela, Principal Secretary (Political) General Administration Department, saying he was given a ‘condemned accommodation' just because he happened to be a Dalit.
Unable to take the humiliation the senior IAS officer reportedly contemplated going on leave.
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Sources said Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy discussed the issue with Dr. Shankar Rao and then placated Mr. Gonela. The official is believed to have expressed his anguish with Chief Secretary S.V. Prasad over the Minister's utterances but did not insist on action against him.
The chamber once used by the chairman of the State Minorities Commission on the third floor of the “A” block is now being allotted to Dr. Shankar Rao.
Similar re-allotment of chambers has been made for four other Ministers on their request. Marketing Minister M. Mukesh has exchanged his chamber in the “A” block with the one allotted to Agriculture Minister Y.S. Vivekananda Reddy in the “D” block.
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There is shortage of chambers in the Secretariat normally allotted to Ministers and top secretaries.
But the GAD officials hope that the two floors being newly constructed on the two wings of the “H” block will solve this problem to a large extent.
Meanwhile the General Administration Department is pleasantly surprised that none of the 39 new ministers has sought alterations out of “vaastu considerations” within the chambers, a common feature in the past.
In the name of “vaastu,” position of doors and windows and direction of working tables used to be changed and toilets shifted.