Shifting hitches make babus work from home

Hyderabad: It is 'work from home' season for the top officials of the Telangana state government.

Although Chief Secretary SK Joshi formally started functioning from the temporary Secretariat - BRK Bhavan on the auspicious day on Friday, the head of the state administration and other Secretaries of the important department will perform their duties from home until the shifting of their offices to the allotted chambers in the BRK Bhavan are completed.

At least 7 to 10 days are required to shift the entire offices. Even installation of required phone and IT network in the offices is yet to be completed. The chief secretary will also hold meetings, if necessary, with his subordinates at his official residence in the city.

All the 32 departments started shifting their offices from Friday. Most of the material mainly tables, fans and other paraphernalia were being shifted to the allotted blocks and the work would continue even on holidays.

Work on providing telephone and internet connections is on in full swing. But since administration cannot go on holiday, the officials will work from home.

As of now, the BRK Bhavan does not even have intra phone connection or lift facility. "It will take at least one week to create necessary infrastructure for the secretaries to perform their duties without any hassles," according to sources.

Arrangement of parking facility for top officials was another big task before the GAD (Political) which is overseeing the arrangements.

Secretaries of all-important departments like Finance, Health, Agriculture, Panchayat Raj, Municipal Administration, Commercial Taxes, Land Revenue and Welfare departments were asked to perform their duties from home.

Some secretaries already took some important files with them to work on them at their residence. They are also permitted to draft new policies, if any, by holding meeting at their chosen places in the city, including hotels or other offices.

In view of the ongoing works in the temporary secretariat, media was not allowed inside the premises.

The chief secretary clarified that media will be permitted inside the chambers only after all the secretaries start functioning from their allotted chambers.