Telugu Desam Party president and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu's decision to have a helipad on the roof-top of his Secretariat building complex at Velagapudi near Amaravati in Guntur district has drawn flak from several quarters.
The total cost of the roof-top helipad being constructed on a 2000 sq ft area, is said to be Rs 1 crore and it would be constructed by Shapoorji Pallonji and Larsen and Toubro.
The helipad would enable Naidu to land straight on his office building from Gannavaram airport. After landing, he can straightaway reach his chambers in lift. This would help him avoid travelling for 50 km from Gannavaram to his office and prevent traffic jams.
Having a helipad adjacent to the Secretariat complex is not a bad idea. In Hyderabad, former Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhar Reddy had a similar arrangement in the open area adjacent to Secretariat. However, it was never used and YSR used to go to Begumpet airport to board the helicopter. The helipad area is now being used as a parking space for cars.
But having a roof-top helipad is nothing but extravagant spending. For having a helipad on the roof-top, the entire building design has to be changed and constructed more strongly than a normal building.
It would make the cost of building construction double. Alternatively, Naidu could have considered the plan of having a helipad adjacent to the Secretariat building complex, as in the case of Hyderabad Secretariat.
Moreover, the present building, according to Naidu, is only temporary and there would be a different Secretariat to be constructed permanently in Amaravati.
So, what is the point in having roof-top helipad on a temporary building? Is it not waste of money, Mr Naidu?
