Key Secretariat departments get space in BRKR Bhavan

CMO not to be in the new building in view of security issues

Telangana Secretariat and the Burgula Rama Krishna Rao Bhavan where offices from the old Secretariat are being shifted, in Hyderabad.

All the key departments of the Secretariat are set to be shifted with the allocation of space for them in the Burgula Ramakrishna Rao Bhavan, located nearby, to pave way for demolition of old buildings and construction of a new Secretariat complex.

According to the tentative layout plan finalised by General Administration Department, the BRKR Bhavan with built-up space of 1.6 lakh sq.ft, will have the offices of the ministers, Chief Secretary and other key wings.

The layout however did not make a mention of the space allotted to the Chief Minister’s Office and offices of the Secretaries in the CMO. There has been uncertainty over location of the CMO in the BRKR Bhavan ever since senior police officials who inspected the premises opined that the complex located in the heart of the city was vulnerable from the point of view of security.

Accordingly, officials are said to be discussing a new venue to locate the CMO, fulfilling security requirements and avoiding inconvenience to people.

The layout finalised for the BRKR Bhavan will have the offices of the ministers on the first floor and the office of the Chief Secretary, along with sections of the GAD, would be on the ninth floor. Finance, Law and Planning departments as also the left-over sections of the GAD are proposed to be shifted to the eighth floor. The Home, Energy and IT departments, along with the IT services centre, have been given space on the seventh floor of the building, according to the proposed layout plan.

Other key departments, including the Health, Irrigation and Labour & Employment, are proposed to be housed on the sixth floor of the new venue while the Housing, Panchayat Raj & Rural Development departments and the office of the Principal Secretary IT would be on the fifth floor.

The Education, Revenue, Women Development and Child Welfare, Municipal Administration and other departments are proposed to be located on the fourth and third floors of the BRKR Bhavan. The ground floor of the building will have facilities like bank, ATM, railway reservation counter and BSNL office for the convenience of employees.