The Telangana government has promised a brand new club with ultra modern facilities to the IAS officers association in place of the current SIB building adjacent to the CM’s camp office in Somajiguda. This will be in lieu of handing over the existing club premises located right behind the CM’s camp office.

The near four-and-half acre officers association premises houses a tennis court, three badminton courts, a multi-functional gym, bar, club house (a declared heritage monument), parking facility and rooms besides a swimming pool, which was recently demolished by the Roads & Buildings Department purportedly for ‘vastu’ reasons. It is to be vacated by March-end.

Apparently, Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has assured the IAS officers association that the government was ready to sanction Rs.5 crore for building the necessary infrastructure facilities for the proposed new premises in about 3.5 acres, senior officials involved in the exercise seeking anonymity informed.

Mr. Rao after explaining the significance of removing the swimming pool for ‘vastu’ reasons also promised the officers that the Telangana government was ready to even register the proposed new club premises in the name of the IAS officers association.

Incidentally, the current premises occupied by the Association have been given by the then State government on a long lease and has been in its possession since 1982, according to a senior official. But, the TS government eyeing the premises has not gone down well with many officers distraught and bristling with anger.

“There is little one can do when the Chief Minister himself stakes claim to the land but many senior IAS officers have fond memories of the premises as they had celebrated many a family function including weddings here,” said another official. “We have been getting calls from even New Delhi from past office bearers and they are very upset,” disclosed another officer.

While the association has not divided themselves into A.P. and TS, a few officers from the residual State are ready to stake any claim on the grounds of the Reorganisation Act as they feel it is a “pointless exercise”. “After all we are going to be around just for a couple of years,” they said.

The TS government has not yet indicated what it intends to build on the premises though there have been reports of building another camp office.

Source: TH