Report: Pragati Bhavan Maintenance Costs A Bomb!

The opposition parties in Telangana had been criticising Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao for spending heavily on Pragati Bhavan, his official residence at Begumpet, but there had been no response from the TRS leaders.

However, the latest figures relating to the expenditure and maintenance of Pragati Bhavan affirmed that KCR spends lavishly when it comes to him and his family.

Built in 2016 at a cost of Rs 45.91 crore in nine acres, the total expenditure on various works of the building till date has run upto Rs 50.90 crore. Pragathi Bhavan was built after demolishing the quarters of 10 IAS officers and 24 peons at the place in the Officers’ Colony.

The figures were made public by the PRO of the roads and buildings department following a query from Robin Jaques, an RTI activist.

A whopping Rs 75 lakh was spent on painting works alone, for the five buildings on the premises. Another Rs 26 lakh was spent on the modular kitchen in the CM’s residence. For the permanent dais at the CM’s camp office, Rs 89,108 was spent

In 2017-18, Rs 44,277 was spent on urgent maintenance works at the residence. To construct the shed for the security guard, Rs 7.85 lakh was spent. Around Rs 14.45 lakh was spent on payments for plumbers and carpenters and other staff at the Bhavan.

In 2018-19, over Rs 99,000 was spent on urgent maintenance works, Rs 22.06 lakh for payments to plumbers, carpenters and other staff, Rs 40,467 towards extending the CM’s dais.

Later, another Rs 35.03 lakh was spent towards payment of plumbers and carpenters in the subsequent years and Rs 9.38 lakh for construction of a toilet and dressing room for the security guard.

The reply for the RTI query revealed that over Rs 3.14 lakh was spent towards construction of toilets in the first floor of the main building. Rs 7.15 lakh on barricading and extending the main gate, Rs 26 lakh on the patrolling corridor on the east side of the building. Rs 5.14 lakh for repairing the toilets and on the thermocol ceiling.