AP, Telangana CMs to share the same Secretariat

HYDERABAD: With officials more or less deciding that the office of the chief minister of the residuary state of Andhra Pradesh be located within the Secretariat, babus have got down to the most key aspect of the matter _ Vastu.

For the time being, it is the roads and buildings officials who have turned Vastu experts and are using their expertise to finalise the entry/exit points for the first chief minister of new AP and also his office _ everything as per Vastu.

Informed sources disclosed that while doing the exercise on distributing buildings of state offices in Hyderabad, the officials have decided to house the office of the new AP chief minister in the existing Secretariat itself.

'If the Secretariat of residuary AP is located elsewhere in Hyderabad, most of the buildings in the present Secretariat will remain vacant. So, it has been decided to apportion the Secretariat to the chief ministers of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana to run the administration of the respective states,' they said.

Currently, the chief minister's office is located in the C-Block. It is not clear which blocks will be allotted to Telangana and AP. Officials are thinking of locating the office of the chief minister of Telangana in C-Block and the CM of AP in H-South Block.

'We will not construct any compound wall to divide the Secretariat but will erect some kind of fencing to prevent visitors from one state from straying into the office of the other state,' an officer involved in the exercise of the distribution of buildings said.

'We want to identify a block for AP chief minister and provide necessary partition in the block for CMO, cabinet meeting room, meeting room and others. The facilities currently available for the chief minister in the C-Block will be extended in the block to be earmarked for AP CM too,' said an officer.

While doing so, officials are also looking into the Vastu aspect. 'The old gate of the Secretariat was closed for Vastu reasons. The CMO is located in the corner of C-Block only for Vastu reasons. We cannot reopen the old gate.

The existing entry to the Secretariat will be used for Telangana chief minister. We will erect a new gate for Andhra chief minister, considering all Vastu rules,' an officer explained.

'We cannot hire Vastu experts for the purpose. The architects in the R&B department are well versed with basic Vastu principles. So, they apply the same rules while creating a new office for Andhra CM and finding new entry and exit points,' an officer said.

'Our intention is that after June 2, the first chief minister of Telangana or Andhra Pradesh should not refuse to enter into the Secretariat on Vastu objections. We will adhere to basic Vastu tenets. It is up to the two chief ministers to make suitable amendments to their peshis,' the officer said.