india

Updated: Mar 12, 2015 09:10 IST

The K Chandrasekhara Rao government in Telangana has hired a vaastu expert at Rs 75,000 a month to ensure that every building and road in the new state adheres to the principles of the ancient Indian architecture form.

Vaastu science claims to have several ‘remedies’ that can ensure buildings, or in this case layouts of whole towns, remain blessed.

The Telangana chief minister’s obsession with vaastu is well known. Last month, Rao had announced that a new secretariat complex would be built in the capital as the present one “has serious vaastu dosham.”

Despite protests from the opposition and civil society groups, the CM has stuck to his guns.

According to a government order issued February 12, a vaastu expert Suddala Sudhakar Teja was appointed as advisor, architecture. The designation architecture advisor was ostensibly accorded since protocol does not allow for a ‘vaastu expert’.

“It is appreciative that a chief minister has given due recognition to a scientific subject like vaastu. I would put my expertise to ensure the buildings are fault free,” Teja told HT.

The appointment is for one year and the remuneration, including allowances, is Rs 75,000 a month. A vehicle and driver would also be provided for Teja to inspect the construction sites while planning buildings according to vaastu.