The Telangana government has started the demolition of the Secretariat complex buildings amid tight security.
The Secretariat complex comprises 10 big buildings, and they are all being demolished to build a new Secretariat in 6 lakh sq yards.
The demolition works were started last night, and traffic came to a halt on the routes leading to the Secretariat.
The police did not inform to the people of the traffic curbs, and the sudden diversions caused a lot of inconvenience. The police force has been deployed near the site to avoid any disruptions to the exercise.
After the High Court recently gave its nod for the demolition of the Secretariat buildings, the government seems to have decided to plunge into action before an appeal filed before the Supreme Court came up for hearing.
Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar and DGP Mahender Reddy are directly monitoring the demolition works, according to information.
Rs 400-500 crores are to be spent on a new Secretariat complex by the government. The plan is to build a sprawling complex to provide better facilities, and a design has reportedly been finalized by the Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao.
The demolished Secretariat complex has a history of 132 years, having been built during the Nizam's rule. In combined Andhra Pradesh as many as 16 Chief Ministers ruled the state from the premises.
The demolished complex was spread over 25 acres, and the new buildings are to come up in 6 lakh sq yards of the 10 lakh sq yards.