Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao inaugurated the new state Secretariat on Sunday.

After the formation of Telangana state, the first government headed by CM KCR started administration of the new state from the secretariat building of the erstwhile united Andhra Pradesh.

However, the old state Secretariat, the epicentre of the state administration, lacked adequate facilities and the employees and visitors faced many problems. Frequent roof collapses, short-circuits, lack of space for a good canteen, shortage of parking facilities, administrative problems and lack of coordination between departments were regular issues.

Taking note of this, KCR decided to build a new Secretariat.

A Cabinet Sub-Committee headed by State Roads and Buildings Minister Vemula Prashant Reddy was constituted to study the condition of the old structure. The Cabinet Sub-Committee submitted its report to KCR, stating the secretariat was not administrative friendly.

EXPERT COMMITTEE

The state constituted an Expert Committee headed by R&B Engineer-in-Chief, with Engineer-in-Chief of Irrigation and Panchayat Raj Departments. This committee made a comprehensive study and identified many deficiencies and recommended building a new structure with high standards.

CM KCR laid the foundation stone for the construction of the new Secretariat on June 27, 2019.

THE DESIGNERS

Architects Dr Oscar G Concessao and Dr Ponni M. Concessao were appointed as designers for the construction of the new secretariat. The structure has been built by Shapoorji Pallonji and Company Pvt Limited.

THE INSPIRATION

The ‘domes’ of the secretariat have been styled on the lines of the Neelakantheswaraswamy temple of the Kakatiya period in Nizamabad, Gopurams and designs of the Rajaprasads of the Vanaparthi Samsthanam (princely state) and the pattern of the Hanuman temple in Sarangapur, Gujarat. All the Tapadas are made of red sandstone, and the peak-like towers in the middle are made of sandstone brought from Dholpur, Rajasthan.

SURROUNDED BY HISTORICAL PLACES

Lumbini Park is located to the east of the new secretariat, Mint compound to the left, to the north is India’s largest statue of Dr BR Ambedkar and Telugu Mother Flyover is to the south.

THE SPECIFICATIONS

The construction work of the new secretariat building complex started in January 2021 amid the Covid pandemic, court cases and other circumstances. The building is built at a height of 265 feet on an area of 10,51,676 square feet across a sprawling 28 acres. No state has such a tall secretariat.

The new secretariat is a fusion of different cultures. It is one of the largest secretariats in the country. The solar panels installed on top of the building generate the required electricity.

OTHER HIGHLIGHTS

• The construction has been completed in a 26 months. Usually, it takes five years to complete such a project
• Surveillance with 300 CCTV cameras and 300 policemen
• Galvanized Reinforced Concrete (GRC) technology has been used to build the domes and pillars
• It took six months to erect the pillars
• More than 3,000 workers worked daily
• A total of 1,000 lorries of red sandstone was used
• Administrative approvals of Rs 617 crore have been received for building construction
• Rs 550 crore have been spent so far. The construction cost increased by 20-30% than expected
• Works were completed quickly due to CM KCR’s regular monitoring and as they were entrusted to a single construction company
• The six-storey Secretariat has 635 rooms
• A separate plant has been set up for AC
• 24 lifts have been installed
• Arrangements have been made to store 5.60 lakh litres of water
• Solar panels have been installed to save power
• It has special 30 conference halls
• The building is constructed on two-and-a-half acres of the total area of 28 acres
• Two banks, post office, ATM kioks, railway counter, bus counter and canteen are in front of the secretariat
• A building with four floors has been constructed for the offices of Employees Association, indoor games and the housing society behind the Secretariat
• A temple, mosque and churches have also been built
• A reception hall, NRI centre, publicity cell and rooms for the media have been constructed
• As all officials, including ministers, will discharge their duties from the new Secretariat, people who come with grievances will get quick solutions
• Giving passes with smart card is being considered for security
• Two floors with an area of 4,500-sq-ft each are built between the dome on the sixth floor
• These will be used for the President, Prime Minister and foreign guests on state visit. Royal dining halls have been built based on the Persian model
• The structure has Royal conference halls too
• A total of four gates have been erected
• The CM, CS, DGP, Ministers and public representatives will come from the main gate to the east
• The west gate will be used in case of an emergency
• Employees of all departments will come from the North-East gate
• Visitors can enter from the south-east gate
• Parking facilities have been provided everywhere
• The structure has spacious lawns and huge fountains
• The main entrance with a wide portico adds to the beauty of the secretariat building.

KCR’S BRAINCHILD

The new building is built as part of CM KCR’s idea to ensure administrative convenience and better governance. After obtaining necessary permissions from the Airport Authority, State Pollution Control Board, Fire Department, GHMC and other departments, the government started the construction work in January 2021.

The works were stalled twice for 45 days each due to the pandemic. However, more workers were pressed into service to complete the construction. Initially 1,500 workers were on the job, but later 4,000 people worked were deployed.

The new Secretariat has been built using state-of-the-art techniques. It has been divided into A, B, C, D sections to avoid inconvenience to visitors. Each section has been assigned to certain departments. Lunch rooms have been constructed for employees on all floors.

The Cabinet meeting hall, conference rooms and halls are on the sixth floor. The domes stand out as a special attraction. Four-way gates are installed along the roads around. Arrangements have been made for fire engines to visit around the building in case of fire accidents.

Dr BR Ambedkar Integrated Secretariat Building, built ambitiously by the government, is taller than many prominent historical buildings in the country. The Ashoka icon placed on the main domes is 265 feet above the ground. It has been built to accommodate 2,000 employees.

A temple, mosque and churches have also been built on the southwest side. There is a parking facility on the south-east side for 160 cars and 300 bikes for visitors.

11-STOREY STRUCTURE

The Secretariat main building has six floors. It is an 11-storey structure with five more floors at the main entrance, 10 acres of lawn in the front area and 2 acres of lawn in the courtyard. The new Secretariat has an area larger than the constructed Parliament building Central Vista in New Delhi.

The Government gave administrative sanction of Rs 617 crore for building construction. After GST, which was 6% at that time, it increased to 18%. As a result, the construction cost has increased by more than 30%.

Two lifts have been arranged to reach the CMO on the sixth floor. Twenty-four chambers have been created for ministers. The minister, secretary and all the officers of that department offices will be located in one place. This is the only secretariat in the country with such a system.

It provides a glimpse of the beauty of the city in 360 degrees. This area is called Sky Lounge.

Around 3,500 cubic meters of Dholpur red stone, which was used for Parliament building, has also been used for the new Secretariat. For this, a whole mine was used. Red stone is used for the entire basement, while light brown stone is used from the main dome to the portico.

A free fabricated decoration in galvanized re-inforced concrete method has been used for special carving patterns in other parts of pillars. The Secretariat is the first building of GRC at this level in the country.

The height of the main portico is 42 feet, which makes the huge pillars a special attraction. Each floor has a height of 14 feet.

AREA DETAILS

• Total area: 28 acres
• Built-up area of the building: 2.45 acres
• Landscaping: 7.72 acres
• Central courtyard lawn: 2.2 acres
• Parking: 560 cars, 700 bikes
• Ancillary building Area: 67,982 sqft
• Built-up area of the main building complex: 8,58,530 sqft
• Lower Ground + ground + height of each of the six floors: 14 feet
• Total height of Ashoka icon: 265 feet
• Building length, width: 600 x 300
• Main domes (Sky lounge): 11th floor

OTHER HIGHLIGHTS

Mahadwara (Main Giant Gate)

The Bahubali Mahadwara is constructed with four doors — 29 feet wide and 24 feet high. This Mahadwara is made of Teakwood from the forests of Adilabad in Nagpur and is engraved with brass cast. All doors are made of Teakwood.

Formation of Domes

34 domes of four types have been constructed on the top of the secretariat building. These domes are classified as A, B, C and D. The ‘A’ type dome is 23.6 feet, ‘B’ type domes – 31 feet, ‘C’ type is 21.6 feet, and the largest of the ‘D’ type domes is 54.8 feet. It is estimated that up to 90 tonnes of iron was used in the construction of these domes.

Bahubali Domes

Two huge domes have been constructed in the state secretariat, on the lines of Taj Mahal and Gulbarga Gumbaz, which have huge domes. 34 domes and figures of Lions, the national symbol are the crown of the new Secretariat. The main dome is built at a height of 165 feet. The main domes are built in front of and behind the secretariat. This is the first time such huge domes have been created in modern structures of government buildings. Each dome is 82 feet high (about eight storeys) and 52 feet in diameter. These are the main attraction of the Secretariat building and are located on the east and west sides of the building. The interior of the domes is designed in the style of a sky lounge. It offers a view of the surrounding city from its wide windows. The area of these domes is designed as a VIP zone where the CM holds important meetings.

A total of 34 domes were built, including the two main domes at the top.

National symbol

On the main two domes, the national symbol — 18 feet high, 4 lion symbols — has been installed. The five feet high and 2.5 tonne national symbols are made in Delhi.

Mini reservoir

A mini-reservoir with a capacity of two-and-a-half lakh litres has been constructed underground in the secretariat building with the intention of saving water. A special pipeline system has been installed to move the rainwater from all sides of the building into the reservoir. Water from this reservoir is used for the maintenance of 9 acres of lawns established in the premises of the Secretariat.

Fountains

Two red sandstone fountains of the same height and area (28 feet height, 58 feet area), like Parliament, have also been installed in front of the Secretariat.

Prayer halls

The government has built Hindu, Muslim and Christian prayer halls in the Secretariat. They have been made more spacious and beautiful than before. The government has provided flexibility to get the construction done according to the wishes of the respective religious leaders. About nine thousand square feet have been allocated for temple, mosque and church.

Security arrangements

The government has established a state-of-the-art system for the security of the Secretariat. All the details of the visitors will appear on the computer screen of the security guards. Anyone can enter the Secretariat only after crossing the security line. More than 650 security personnel will be on duty regularly. A robust CCTV camera system has been installed here. Visitors should link their Aadhaar data through face recognition. The complete details of the visitor are instantly displayed on the computer screen through the data stored in the police command control centre.

Gates

The Secretariat has main gates in four directions. Among them, the Northwest gate is opened only when there is a need.

The movement of Secretariat staff, secretaries and officers will continue through the Northeast gate. The Southeast (South East) gate is used for visitors.

The visiting time of the Secretariat is from 3 pm to 5 pm.

East Gate (Main Gate) is used only for Chief Minister, CS, DGP, Ministers, MLAs, MLCs, MPs, Chairman and important invitees, national and foreign guests.

Electric vehicles are being arranged for disabled and elderly people.

MATERIALS USED

• Steel: 7,000 tonnes
• Cement: 35,000 tonnes
• Sand: 26,000 tonnes
• Concrete: 60,000 cubic meters
• Bricks: 11 lakh
• Granite: 3 lakh square feet
• Marble: One lakh square feet
• Dholpur red stone: 3,500 cubic meters
• Timber: 7,500 cubic feet
• Workers employed: 12,000 in three shifts

FLOOR-WISE DETAILS

• Ground Floor: SC Minority, Labor, Revenue Departments
• 1st Floor: Education, Panchayat Raj, Home Department
• 2nd Floor: Department of Finance, Health, Energy, Animal Husbandry
• 3rd Floor: Industrial and Commerce Department, Planning Department
• 4th Floor : Forest, Cultural Department, Irrigation Department, Law Department
• 5th Floor: R&B, General Administration Departments
• 6th Floor: Offices of CM and Chief Secretary

THE CMO

The chief minister’s office has been set up on the sixth floor with an area of one lakh sq ft. The CMO is built in white marble, and special sections have been set up for his staff. In order to meet the people and hold a Praja Darbar, a hall has been arranged, called ‘Janahita’, has been built which can seat at least 250 people. A cabinet hall which can seat 25 ministers and more than 30 officials has also been built. A hall for 60 people and another hall for 50 people has been constructed to conduct meetings with the collectors. A state-of-the-art dining hall has been set up to seat around 25 people to dine with distinguished guests.

NAMED AFTER DR AMBEDKAR

KCR named the new secretariat building as Dr BR Ambedkar Telangana State Secretariat.

CM KCR explained the reasons. “Dr BR Ambedkar’s hard work and sacrifice as a warrior who fought for social justice, as an architect of the Indian Constitution, for the future generations of the people of this country is commendable. Ambedkar strove for upliftment of not only Dalits, but tribals, Backward communities and all sections of people in India.”

“Setting up Ambedkar’s idol at the highest level means being constantly inspired to pursue his highest aspirations. It is with great determination that the people’s representatives and the entire government machinery should work for the realization of Ambedkar’s aspirations and we have named the state secretariat after him.”

IGBC recognition

Dr BR Ambedkar Secretariat is the only Secretariat to have received a Golden Certificate from the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC).

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