Telangana New Secretariat to shrink NTR Garden

Hyderabad: The famous NTR Garden adjacent to the proposed new Secretariat complex in the city is likely to lose a piece of land once the construction work of the new Secretariat building commences.

As the design for the new Secretariat building is getting ready, the government is said to be of the opinion that it would have to acquire a piece of land which is now part of 36-acre NTR Gardens to accommodate all the features envisaged in the complex.

It is proposed to utilise the acquired NTR garden land for the development of a landscape garden and widen road in front of the new Secretariat complex. However, the NTR Ghat will not get affected.

Top sources on a condition of anonymity said the new Secretariat design has been finalised after several rounds of meetings by Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao with the architects and the implementing agency Roads and Building department. During the meetings, the proposal to take over a piece of land from the NTR Garden was also discussed.

The existing road between NTR Garden and the Telangana Secretariat entrance is narrow. It was felt that if hassle-free traffic system has to be in place then widening of the road was a must and for this acquiring a piece of land from the NTR Garden would become necessary.

The plan also includes a separate road for the CM convoy and for this also more land is required.

The NTR garden has been developed in memory of the legendary actor and former Chief Minister NT Rama Rao. The garden in the last two decades had become one of the most attractive tourism spots in Hyderabad.