Amaravati: A new chapter began on Thursday for Andhra Pradesh as its seat of administration shifted completely to the new capital region of Amaravati. A day after chief minister N.Chandrababu Naidu moved into his office chamber in the Government Transitional Headquarters (GTH) at Velagapudi, the cabinet meeting was held here for the first time this afternoon, marking a new beginning in government administration in the state.

There were many false starts since 29 June when the AP secretariat was to shift to Velagapudi from Hyderabad as construction of office buildings in the GTH dragged for months. In fact, Block-1, which houses the chief minister’s office had to be demolished and rebuilt to make it totally vastu-compliant. It is only since 3 October that the secretariat departments started relocating to Velagapudi one after the other, even as several internal works were still being carried out.

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Chambers of many ministers, secretaries and principal secretaries to the state government were ready only early last month, but the chief minister’s office remained incomplete till two days ago.

With the Chief Minister finally settling in his new office, the government will now completely function from Velagapudi. It will be at least two more years before the real secretariat is built in the administrative city in the capital. Meanwhile, construction of the legislature complex (temporary) is going on at a brisk pace opposite the CMO block in the GTH.

The government has set December-end as the deadline to complete the construction of the building in all respects. “Once the building is ready, we will hold a brief session of the Legislature here in January," legislative affairs and finance minister, Yanamala Ramakrishnudu said

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