Secretariat’s Andhra Pradesh blocks see frantic activity

Hyderabad: After a considerable lull, the Seemandhra Secretariat is all set to spring back to life. Finishing touches are being given and chambers are being readied for the new ministers to occupy in various blocks.

For the last 10 days, it’s only the Telangana Secretariat that has been abuzz with activity. It may be recalled that the Secretariat has been divided, with A,B,C and D blocks being allotted to Telangana, and J, K, L and H South and North blocks to Andhra Pradesh, since the two states share a single capital.

While the Telangana state government, led by Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao and his council of ministers started functioning from June 2, AP Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and his team were sworn in on June 8, and portfolios allotted only on June 11.

Now, with the first Cabinet meeting of the Andhra Pradesh government post bifurcation held in Visakhapatnam on Thursday, the ministers are expected to arrive in Hyderabad and occupy their chambers.

Close aides and relatives of some of the TD ministers have started inspecting the chambers.

Though renovation work is still going on in H South block and some repairs are being done in other blocks in the AP Secretariat, the officials of Roads and Buildings department said the ministers’ chambers would be ready by the time they are ready to occupy them.

Mr Chandrababu Naidu’s office is on the eighth floor of L block. The Chief Secretary’s office is on the seventh floor.

Unlike the Telangana Secretariat, where all 11 ministers have been accommodated in a single block i.e. D block, in the AP Secretariat there are five chambers on two top floors of J block, and nine chambers in H block.

Interestingly, Ganta Srinivas Rao, who was a Congress minister till recently, will be entering the Secretariat as a Telugu Desam minister.

Except for Yanamala Ramakrishnudu, Bojjala Gopala Krishna Reddy and Ayyanna Patrudu, most of the others are first time ministers.