Congress leader G Nirajan had written to the Election Commission saying the secretariat inauguration would violate the model code of conduct.
The new Secretariat will take up 20 acres out of a total area of about 29 acres. (BRS Party/Twitter)
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has thrown a wet blanket on the enthusiasm of Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) government by denying it permission to inaugurate the new secretariat building in Hyderabad on 17 February, on the occasion of Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao’s birthday.
The state government has, accordingly, postponed the ceremony to a later date.
The ECI took the decision not to allow the inauguration as the model code of conduct has come into force with regard to the election to two seats of the Telangana Legislative Council, for which it announced the schedule on 9 February.
According to sources, the state government postponed the inauguration of the secretariat as there was no positive response from the ECI when the chief secretary sought permission to go ahead with the inauguration of the secretariat which has been named after BR Ambedkar.
The government said a fresh date would be announced later.
The state government had planned a grand inauguration for the secretariat which has come up in an area of about 29 acres. The built-up area is about 7.88 lakh sq ft and the building rises to a height of 265 ft.
The sixth floor of the secretariat houses the Chief Minister’s Office and the conference hall for holding Cabinet meetings.
The building has two main domes and 34 small domes. The two main domes will have the national insignia of four lions at a height of 18 ft.
The state government has already invited Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemanth Soren, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashvi Yadav, JD(U) President Lalan Singh — both representing Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar — and Ambedkar’s grandson Prakash Ambedkar.
The BRS planned a huge public meeting at Parade ground after the inauguration of the secretariat.
The government has also planned to conduct Vastu Pooja, Chandi Yagam, and Sudarshana Yagam at the secretariat to invoke the blessings of the gods.
The BRS Working President KT Rama Rao had, on 9 February, held a preparatory meeting with people’s representatives of Hyderabad, Rangareddy and Medchal Malkajgiri districts for mobilisation of people for the public meeting in huge numbers.
Interestingly, on 10 February, senior vice-president of the state Congress party unit, G Niranjan, had dashed off a letter to Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, saying that inauguration of the secretariat on 17 February would amount to a violation of the model code of conduct .
He pointed out that the model code of conduct had into force on 9 February when the ECI announced the schedule for the election for two seats in Telangana Legislative Council.
He suggested that if the state government is determined to open the secretariat on 17 February, then the ECI should ask it to have the inauguration done by a government official without the participation of any political personality as per the model code of conduct guidelines.
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