KCR kickstarts work for new Secretariat and Assembly

Amid objections from opposition parties and the kin of the legal heirs of Nawab Fakhrul Mulk, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao laid the foundation for the state secretariat complex and the Assembly at two different places on Thursday.

While the secretariat will be built in the current premises near Hussain Sagar, the assembly, the council and the central hall will be built at Errum Manzil, a historic place built by the Nawab 150 years ago.

The Chief Minister arrived at the state secretariat and spent time in his chambers. He visited the blocks that were recently handed over by the Andhra Pradesh government. He then initiated work for the new complex near the D Block by digging with a crowbar as per the tradition.

The Chief Minister then drove to Errum Manzil near Panjagutta where he laid the foundation stone for the Legislature complex. Speaker of the Legislative Assembly Pocharam Srinivas Reddy, Vice-Chairman of the Legislative Council Nethi Vidya Sagar, were also present. The new Assembly complex will be a huge one, with a central hall akin to the Parliament house.

Meanwhile, BJP MLC N Ramchander Rao was taken into custody by police when he tried to protest against the construction of the new secretariat building. “Look at the state of democracy in Telangana where even the right to protest is snatched,” he rued.

The construction of both facilities will cost Rs 500 crore. The decision to build the secretariat at the same place came after KCR’s efforts to secure defense land in Secunderabad did not materialise in time.

The present assembly building and the council were built by the Nizam long back. The CM is keen that the new Assembly is endowed with all modern facilities and sufficient place for the lawmakers and offices for the legislative parties and a good library.

The Chief Minister currently operates from his official residence, the swanky Pragathi Bhavan. The other official residence built by Y S Rajasekhar Reddy adjacent to Pragathi Bhavan is considered ill-fated, after YSR's death in a tragic chopper crash.