Old Assembly building gets facelift - TeluguPeople.com News

HYDERABAD: Bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh seems to have given a chance to the 100-year-old previous Assembly building located on the same premises as the present Assembly to regain its past glory after 28 years.

As the first session of the AP Assembly is going to take place at the old Assembly building from June 19, officials of the AP Legislature secretariat are racing against time to renovate the building so as to make it suitable for conducting the 175-member House of AP.

The old Assembly building, which was constructed in 1913 by Nizam, is not a spacious one like the present Assembly building built in 1985.

It has a small media gallery, whose capacity is 30 to 35. If the gallery is crowded, then there is a chance of it collapsing right on the MLAs below as there are no support pillars for it.

When AP Finance Minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu held a meeting with the officials concerned and State police boss JV Ramudu to review the preparations for the Assembly session, R&B engineers advised him against allowing more number of media-persons in the press gallery.

They also requested him not to use the visitors' gallery, which is in a dilapidated condition. Following the advice of the engineers, Yanamala told reporters that as the old Assembly building is a cramped one and an aged structure, they had decided not to allow anyone to the visitors gallery, which is a tiny one.

Likewise, they had also decided to limit the gallery passes to reporters to cover the proceedings of the House. Unlike the new Assembly building, the old building does not have sufficient infrastructure.

ONCE A TOWN HALL

The old Assembly building was constructed in 1913. Originally it was a Town Hall in the Nizam State. The then citizens of Hyderabad raised funds to build it to mark the 40th birthday of Nizam Mir Mahboob Ali Khan. At the request of the Nizam, specially commissioned architects designed this white gem of Hyderabad's architectural splendour, inspired by the beautiful palace architecture of Jaipur in Rajasthan. The blend of Rajasthani and Persian architecture is evident in the structure.

HYD STATE ASSEMBLY

After the first general elections held in 1952 in the then Hyderabad State, the Town Hall was converted into Hyderabad State Legislative Assembly.

After the formation of the State of Andhra Pradesh on November 1, 1956, it became AP Legislative Assembly and continued so August 3, 1985, when the new Assembly building was inaugurated.

The old building was used for joint sessions of the Assembly and the Council. After bifurcation of AP, the new building was allotted to Telangana Legislature, whereas the old building was given to AP Assembly.

It has no separate entrances for Speaker, Chief Minister, Deputy Speaker, Ministers and Members. Providing separate chambers for Speaker, Chief Minister, Deputy Speaker, Ministers and Leader of Opposition and Leaders of all Legislature parties is also a daunting task for the officials concerned as there are no sufficient rooms either in the building or elsewhere on the Assembly premises.

For now, the present TDP Legislature Party (TDLP) office has been converted into the chambers of Chief Minister of AP.

Entry from Gate 2

According to Yanamala, AP Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu's convoy will enter the Assembly premises through Gate No 2, instead of Gate No 1, from which the Chief Minister and his council of ministers normally enter.

The reason is the name board 'Telangana State Legislature' has been put on Gate No 1. So, the AP Chief Minister and his Cabinet colleagues have decided not use that gate. Hence, they will enter the premises through Gate No 2.

As the first session of AP Assembly is beginning on June 19 here, senior TDP leader and seven-time legislator Pathivada Narayana Swamy Naidu, representing Nellimerla segment in Vizianagaram district, will be sworn in as the protem Speaker on June 18.

Naidu to Take Charge as CM on June 19

N Chandrababu Naidu will take charge as Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh on June 19. He will address State government employees at the Secretariat at 2.30 pm on that day.

Naidu will work from Lake View guest house for two months as arrangements in the L Block, allotted to him, were being delayed. 'We met Chief Minister Naidu. He assured us that he will address the employees at the Secretariat on June 19,' AP Secretariat Employees Association president U Murali Krishna told reporters.