Andhra Pradesh Secretariat fence height to be raised

Hyderabad: The height of the railing in the L Block of the Secretariat will be raised substantially as part of a series of security measures being taken up in and around the block that will house AP Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu’s office on the top floor.

Though the L Block may be suitable for Mr Naidu as per vaastu, it has thrown up some roadblocks from a security point of view. This was revealed during an inspection by senior officials of the Intelligence and Security wing. As AP CM, Mr Naidu will be occupying the eighth floor of the building. The Intelligence wing officers felt that the surrounding residential, commercial and religious buildings, which are higher than the L Block, may pose threats from a security point of view.

It has thus been decided to sensitise the managements and inmates of such buildings to not allow strangers on the rooftops. The Intelligence wing officers have also asked the officials to streamline the parking of two-wheelers and four-wheelers near the L Block. “Too many vehicles are being parked too near the L Block. Parking needs to be streamlined. High-end electronic and manual surveillance will be put in place around the block. An emergency exit gate between the L and K Blocks would be opened,” a senior officer said.

Meanwhile, AP chief secretary-designate I.Y.R. Krishna Rao has directed Roads and Buildings department to ready the Lake View guesthouse on Raj Bhavan Road before June 9, as Mr Naidu may arrive anytime after swearing in on June 8 at Guntur.