After winning accolades from different quarters over its achievements in the irrigation, agriculture and other sectors, the State is on the verge of completing another major task — construction of full-fledged integrated district office complexes in all the newly carved out districts.
The integrated offices have been planned in such a manner that they are spacious and are equipped with all the facilities, a first of its kind feature in the country, so that officials as well as people find it comfortable in visiting them for getting their issues resolved.
The State government has taken up construction of integrated complexes for districts bringing all offices under one roof immediately after the commencement of the process for reorganisation of districts in 2016. Accordingly, administrative sanction has been accorded for ₹1,581.62 crore for the construction of IDOC’s in 29 reorganised districts that had been created from the 10 districts that formed part of Telangana at the time of bifurcation of the erstwhile united Andhra Pradesh.
A view of the spacious, aesthetically designed integrated district offices complex of Rangareddy district at Kongarakalan. | Photo Credit: NAGARA GOPAL
Of the 29 IDOC’s planned, construction of 15 had been completed and a few of them like the Medchal-Malkajgiri, Rangareddy and Rajanna-Sircilla district had already started functioning. Works on 11 complexes are progressing briskly while tender process for works in Mulug and Narayanpet districts which were formed recently are in tender stage. “Tenders are being finalised and works will be taken up once they are finalised,” Roads and Buildings department Engineer-in-Chief I. Ganapathi Reddy, who is supervising the works, said.
Work on the integrated office complex for Adilabad is yet to be taken up as the site for setting up of the complex had not been finalised. Works on the Karimnagar complex reached basement stage and is progressing at a brisk pace. But the department had decided to continue the same complexes in Sangareddy and Nalgonda districts where the existing buildings are constructed less than 20 years ago and are in good shape.
“Work on the new complex for Warangal is yet to start as the land identified for the IDOC, lying in the vicinity of Azam Jahi Mills has some legal issues that are being addressed,” a senior official said. While the construction of the new complexes is continuing, it has been decided to shift the Hyderabad district collectorate office presently located in the busy Abids area to the complex in Lakdi-ka-Pul that had been vacated following the shifting of Rangareddy collectorate office to Kongarakalan near Ibrahimpatnam recently.
The concept of integrated complexes, bringing all the key departments under one roof, is a brainchild of Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao who was firm on avoiding inconvenience to people who were hitherto making rounds to offices located at different places for their works. The basic idea behind the reorganisation of the districts has been to ensure that the district level offices were within the reach of the common man unlike in the past when people had to travel long distances to submit their representations relating to their requests/grievances.
Officials cite examples like Rangareddy district collectorate which were almost out of the reach of the common man residing in areas like Tandur. “One had to travel over 100 km to submit their requests/grievances even those related to some minor issues,” an official said. Effort had accordingly been made to ensure that a majority of the IDOCs are located in places which were equidistant from a major part of the district and easily accessible to the people.
One of them main reasons for the IDOCs becoming unique is the vast office space they are being provided with. The plinth area of 18 IDOCs is 1.39 lakh sq.ft each while that of 11 other complexes is in excess of 1.59 lakh sq.ft indicating huge office space available for the employees as well as the common people visiting them. The total plinth area of all the IDOCs put together is 44.72 lakh sq.ft and the land allotted to them varies from 19 acres to 54.4 acres.
The helipad abutting the integrated district offices complex of Rangareddy district at Kongarakalan. | Photo Credit: NAGARA GOPAL
While the constructions were strictly in line with the Green Building norms, the IDOCs are being equipped with helipads so that VVIPs like the Chief Minister can directly land there as and when there is a need. The IDOCs are equipped with State chamber, the sprawling meeting hall in which Ministers, senior secretaries and other officials could hold meetings with the district level officers in addition to chambers for collector, additional collectors and other officials.
They have meeting halls capable of accommodating 250 members at one time while there will be conference halls, with seating capacity of more than 30 persons in each floor of the building for the conduct of regular meetings. In addition to the record room, strong room and space for servers as per standards, the IDOCs are also have creches within them to take care of children of the employees.
The interior court yard developed in line with the green building norms at the integrated district offices complex of Rangareddy district at Kongarakalan. | Photo Credit: NAGARA GOPAL
All the buildings have been designed in such a manner that entry will be barrier free for persons with disabilities, including their access to offices within the complex as well as to the toilets. Moreover, complying with the green building norms, they have been constructed in such a manner that there is court yard in the middle of each of the building which is a G+2 structure.
Explaining about the vast stretch of lands allotted to the complexes, he said adequate care has been taken to see maximum vacant space is available for greenery and other activities within the complex. “Each IDOC has a minimum of 20 acres. Buildings and other structures occupy less than 10 % of the total area allotted,” the E-in-C said. The IDOCs are being equipped with residential quarters for officials and the staff. The Government has sanctioned ₹195.89 crore, over and above the ₹1,581 crore for construction of residential quarters for district collectors, additional collectors, district revenue officers and other district level officers in 23 districts. The magnitude with which the residential quarters are being constructed can be gauged from the fact that residential quarters meant for district collectors have a plinth area of 6,000 sq.ft each while that of the additional collectors would be 3,000 sq.ft, district revenue officers (2,500 sq.ft) and those meant for other district level officers (1,500 sq.ft).
Mr. Ganapathi Reddy said though it was decided to complete the construction process in two years, it was delayed due to technical reasons as also addition of new districts subsequently. The department has taken up construction of 25 IDOCs in the first phase and 15 have been completed five of which are ready for inauguration by the Chief Minister this month end and early next month.
“We will complete the remaining positively by December end,” he told The Hindu. Offices in the IDOCs have been planned in such a way that departments with maximum public interface are accommodated in them. These include the departments handling revenue affairs, offices of BC, SC and ST welfare corporations, DRDA project directors and others.
