Hyderabad: The Telangana government is planning to build skyscrapers near Hussainsagar ahead of AP Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu’s capital project with the same Singapore firms which AP is approaching.

However, the TS project is expected to face a roadblock from the AP government as it is entitled to use the existing Secretariat premises for 10 years under the AP Reorganisation Act, and it would not be possible for the TS government to ask the AP government to vacate the Secretariat before this period.

This apart, Abu-Dhabi based Lulu Group’s connection with Mr Rao also comes into the picture, which wants to set up a hypermarket for which the Secretariat lands are being considered.

In fact, Mr Rao visited Kerala on a two-day trip to attend the wedding of the daughter of Ashraf Ali, the executive director of Lulu Group International early in January

The Chief Minister even visited the Lulu Group’s shopping mall in Kochi and  asked them to set up similar mall in Hyderabad. Earlier in December last, representatives of the Lulu Group met IT minister K.T. Rama Rao during his visit to Abu Dhabi and expressed interest in investing Rs 2,500 crore in Telangana.

Soon after his return from the Kerala trip, Mr Rao expedited search for suitable lands in the city by conducting aerial surveys besides visiting Erragadda to examine the lands. After receiving feedback from officials that it would be difficult to build skyscrapers around Hussainsagar as was being envisaged by him originally, due to environment issues, he zeroed in on Secretariat lands for the purpose and began exploring lands to shift the Secretariat.

The surveys conducted revealed that over 120 acres can be easily mobilised in Erragadda if the Chest Hospital and Mental Hospital are relocated from there.

However, on the use of the Secretariat lands,  Mr Rao on Friday said, “The Cabinet will meet soon and take a decision on that.”

Source: DC