The Information Technology & Communications (IT&C) Department has become the first wing of the AP government to become operational from from Vijayawada. The department has severed its links with Hyderabad on Friday, beginning the process of shifting of Andhra Pradesh secretariat from Hyderabad.
The government has set June 15 as the deadline to complete the construction of interim secretariat at Velagapudi in the capital region. All the departments have been given ultimatum to be ready for the relocation by June 15. Chief minister Chandrababu Naidu announced many sops to appease the employees to come down to Velagapudi which include 30 pc HRA and five-day week along with construction of quarters.
According to sources in the government, Home, Education, Medical and Health, Housing, Agriculture, Irrigation and Panchayat Raj have been identified for the first phase shifting of the capital.
” There is no need to wait till the completion of the whole complex to shift the departments to transitory government complex at Velagapudi. The department will start shifting as and when the space ear-marked for the departments is made available. Now,as CM’s is ready, he started functioning form the new secretariat,” the sources said.
The employees working in the directorates and commissionerates will move to Velagapudi in August as agreed in a meeting held with chief secretary SP Tucker last week. Municipal administration minister P Narayana was also present at the meeting. Most of the employees, the sources said, had now fallen in line with the chief minister statement on five-day week and 30 per cent HRA.
” Chief minister is ready to consider all the demands of the employees that in the purview of state government. If the demand require action from the centre, then it takes some time as in the case of settlement of the local status of children of the employees, who are now Telangana locals,” the sources said.
The State government, according to sources, was making all out efforts to shift the secretariat to Amaravati by June 15 and the government had got the commitment from the construction companies of the temporary secretariat to get space ready for occupation by the first week of June, 2016.
