HYDERABAD: Chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao's belief in Vaastu and his declared conviction that the present State Secretariat complex is not Vaastu compliant, has resulted in his near disappearance from the seat of government over the past month.

The chief minister's absence from the Secretariat, while leading to piling up of files that need his urgent attention, has also come as a de-stresser for the secretariat staff, who have begun to come and go as they please.

Chandrasekhar Rao last visited his office in the C Block of the Secretariat on July 22 to hand over approval letters to 19 industrialists under the TS-iPASS. His only previous visit to the Secretariat was a month before, on June 23, when he gave away the first lot of such approval letters to 17 industrialists. And even on his latest visit, the chief minister spent just about a couple of hours in his chambers.

A strong believer in Vaastu, Chandrasekhar Rao openly declared that the existing Secretariat is not Vaastu-compliant and it needs to be relocated. He even proposed to move it to the Chest Hospital at Erragadda and later explored the options of having it built anew at Bison Polo Grounds at Secunderabad. In February, the chief minister appointed a Vaastu consultant, Suddala Sudhakar Teja, as advisor to the government with the architecture, building and planning wing of the roads and buildings department.

A senior officer at the chief minister's office said no official reason was given for Chandrasekhar Rao's preference of working from his camp office. It is the same whether he works from the secretariat or from his camp office, the official further added.

With the chief minister restricting himself to his camp office at Greenlands, administration at the Secretariat has taken a hit. And if officials are to be believed, over 1,000 files pertaining to various departments have piled up at the chief minister's office awaiting his approval. Only a few very important files are being signed by the chief minister at his camp office.

Official sources said that at the CMO only files relating to the chief minister's relief fund (up to a maximum of Rs one lakh) are being cleared by officials as such amounts do not require his approval. All other files are said to be are lying at the CMO for the past two months.

Interestingly, Chandrasekhar Rao holds portfolios of municipal administration and urban development, general administration, law and order, information and public relations and minority welfare departments.

"Several files pertaining to the important issue of metro rail realignment at the Legislative Assembly, regularization of outsourcing employees and housing for poor and appointments and postings have been awaiting the chief minister's approval. Only files that are being followed up by the minister concerned or MLAs are being cleared for now," sources in the government said. Instead of holding review meetings at the Secretariat, the chief minister now prefers to hold most of them at the camp office or the MCR HRD Institute in Jubilee Hills.

Even important visitors are being asked to meet the chief minister at his camp office. A few days ago, Tata Group chairman Cyrus Mistry met the chief minister at his camp office.

In the chief minister's absence, several officials and staff at the Secretariat, have adopted a take it easy approach to work and are not found in their seats during working hours, government sources, worried at the development said.

"With the chief minister and several ministers not turning up for work in their offices, it is no surprise that the employees of the Secretariat are hard to find in their seats," an MLA from Adilabad district said.

KCR last visited his office in the C Black of the Secretariat on July 22 to hand over approval letters to 19 industrialists under TS-iPass

CM has openly declared that the existing Secretariat is not Vaastu-compliant and proposed it be shifted to the Chest Hospital at Erragadda and later also explored the options of having it built anew at Bison Polo Grounds at Secunderabad

With the CM restricting himself to the camp office, the administration at the Secretariat has taken a hit with officials and staff having adopted a take it easy approach and being absent from their seats during working hours

Official sources said that at the CMO only files relating to the chief minister's relief fund (up to a maximum of Rs one lakh) are being cleared by officials as such amounts do not require his approval. All other files are said to be are lying at the CMO for the past two months

Even important visitors are being asked to meet the chief minister at his camp office

