The RTI response revealed that an amount of ₹75 lakh is being spent on the ongoing painting of the Pragathi Bhavan.
Published Sep 08, 2022 | 12:14 AM ⚊ Updated Sep 08, 2022 | 12:16 AM
The Pragathi Bhavan comprises the Chief Minister's residence, office, Janahitha (meeting halls), and the erstwhile residence cum camp office of the CM. (Telangana CMO/Twitter)
The Telangana Roads and Buildings Department, in response to an RTI query on Wednesday, 7 September, revealed that the construction and maintenance of “Pragathi Bhavan” — the official residence and principal working place of Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao — cost the state ₹49,84,14,145, or almost ₹50 crore, at the end of the financial year 2022.
The query was filed by Hyderabad-based RTI activist Robin Zaccheus, who last month filed an RTI after the BJP claimed that Hyderabad was historically known as Bhagyanagar.
Zaccheus filed the fresh query on Monday, 5 September, seeking information on tenders and annual expenditure of the funds of the Telangana government at Pragathi Bhavan.
The costs revealed by the RTI query include repairs of the chief minister’s residence and office, maintenance and furnishing of the whole area, installation of new security features, construction of roads, salaries of the staff, and construction of their accommodation.
The Pragathi Bhavan comprises the chief minister’s residence, office, Janahitha (meeting halls), and the erstwhile residence-cum-camp office.
The structure was built in the 2016-17 financial year after the demolition of IAS officers’ and peons’ quarters as well as a recreational centre.
The RTI response revealed that an amount of ₹75 lakh is being spent on the colouring of the chief minister’s residence, office, and the Janahitha halls.
While giving a breakup of the expenditures during the seven years, the response revealed that the original cost incurred during the construction of the building was ₹45.91 crore.
During the 2017-18 financial year, a total of ₹23.64 lakh was spent on emergency maintenance works, a permanent stage for the chief minister’s camp office, a shed for security guards, and payment for qualified staff, including plumbers and carpenters.
In 2018-19, a sum of ₹57.57 lakh was spent on the construction of a new compound wall, payment for qualified staff, repair of roads and some other civil works, aluminium doors and partitions, an extension of the permanent stage for press conferences and other meetings, and additional works.
It is pertinent to note that the payment to the qualified staff saw a significant jump of ₹8 lakh from the previous year.
The 2019-20 year saw the highest annual expenditures with ₹2.05 crore on maintenance and repairs.
This included the installation of toilets at various places in Pragathi Bhavan, changing rooms for security guards, and quarterly maintenance works of the guest house and the security building.
The highest amount spent was on security measures and patrolling paths: as much as ₹34 lakh.
The following year, 2020-21, saw a drop in expenses, with ₹53.90 lakh spent on repair works and maintenance.
The expenses in 2021-22 amounted to ₹52 lakh, the height being for a “modular kitchen” for the chief minister’s residence, which cost ₹26.57 lakh. This was followed by the installation of a security bar for ₹6.31 lakh along the badminton court.
The rest were cumulative expenses on emergency repairs, patrolling paths, and barricade grills.
RTI activist Robin Zaccheus told South First, “I filed the RTI because there were Praja Darbar (public grievance meetings) before 2014, but now there are only barricades. I also wanted to understand the kind of luxuries our chief minister has been opting for with public money.”
He alleged, “It is quite evident through the RTI that money was used for renovation or personal expenses even during Covid-19 pandemic time. The overall cost each year has gone significantly higher. It is not required as it is not a permanent resident of anybody, but a public office. It is the taxpayers’ money.”
Zaccheus also said: “A close source told me that a tennis court is there for KTR’s son (KCR’s grandson), but the same facilities are not there for students.”
He added that on the other hand the Union Ministry of Sports allocated funds to build a tennis court under the Khelo India budget, it has not been completed for three years. “Neither the state government nor the University has hurried to build it,” he said.
“The chief minister is spending crores on personal luxuries whereas lack of washroom, water, toilet facility, and infrastructure prevails across schools in Telangana. That money could have easily fixed half of Hyderabad’s schools and other issues of public,” Zaccheus, who is also the president of the National Backward Class Welfare Association, told South First.
“There are a lot of food poisoning cases in schools, but the government has taken no proper action. It is clear that the chief minister is more bothered about himself and his family and least about the public,” he added.