The State government has started the exercise on the construction of new secretariat complex in place of the existing one.
The Roads and Buildings department has reportedly been asked to take the measurements of the total complex, including the constructed area and vacant portions. The government is said to be examining designs submitted by reputed architects in this regard and a final decision on the issue would be taken after Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao gives his consent.
“Nothing has been decided as yet. Two or three alternatives are being worked out and a final decision on the design will be taken by the Chief Minister,” a senior official told The Hindu . The Chief Minister is likely to take a look into the issue once his pressing engagements, including the inauguration of the Kaleshwaram project on June 21, are completed.
The present secretariat complex is unevenly spread over the 25.5 acre land and this has reportedly prompted the State government to propose construction of a new complex replacing the existing one. The government is said to be considering construction of the new complex on a rectangular block spread over 20 acres while the rest of the area would be allocated for visitors parking and other amenities. Once the plans for the design are firmed up by the Chief Minister, the offices located in different blocks would be shifted to the premises from where their respective heads of departments are presently functioning. Demolition of the existing buildings would be taken up and the construction of the new premises is expected to commence subsequently.
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Senior officials said the government had tentatively planned to develop the new secretariat with a built up area of around 5.5 lakh sq.ft so that it could also house the offices of the heads of departments which are presently working from different buildings outside the secretariat complex. Senior officials said given the availability of latest technologies, it would take less than a year for completing the construction works and the new complex with all the amenities could be put to use immediately.
The State secretariat is presently having built up area of 9.16 lakh sq.ft in 10 blocks and the blocks allocated to Telangana had built up area of 3.85 lakh sq.ft. “Ensuring a built up area of around 5.5 lakh sq.ft will be more than sufficient to meet our requirements,” the official said.
