AP ministers shifting offices to Vijayawada

• Devineni shifts Irrigation Department
  
• R&B, Transport, Excise, BC Welfare Depts too will go to Vijayawada
  
• Agriculture, Municipal Administration, Urban Development, SC/ST Welfare Depts in Guntur

Vijayawada: The Andhra Pradesh Cabinet Ministers have started shifting their respective departments to Vijayawada. Though the ministers have their offices allocated in Hyderabad Secretariat, they appear firm on having their administrative offices located in Vijayawada, which is likely to be the potential capital of the State.

Minister for Irrigation Devineni Umamaheswara Rao was the first to shift his office to Vijayawada, which he had inaugurated on Sunday. The new building that was constructed on the sprawling Irrigation circle campus located behind the civil courts in the city, now houses the office of the minister. He had stated that his department would function from Vijayawada and he would go to Hyderabad only for Cabinet meetings and the Assembly session. Minister for BC Welfare, Handlooms and Excise Kollu Ravindra, Minister for Health and Medical Education Dr Kamineni Srinivasa Rao, Endowments Minister P Manikyala Rao have already directed the officials to identify suitable places to house their respective departments in Vijayawada. Minister for Transport, and Roads & Buildings Siddha Raghava Rao is likely to have his office in Vijayawada as both the departments have spacious buildings in the city.

Minister for Agriculture Pathipati Pullarao, Minister for SC and ST Welfare Ravela Kishore Babu and Minister for Municipal Administration and Urban Development P Narayana have also decided to have their offices in Guntur district. If the ministers shift their offices to Vijayawada, even their secretaries other officials would have to shuttle between Hyderabad and Vijayawada.