Not a Palace, Just a Simple Office: CM

Metro India News | Hyderabad 

Throwing open the doors of his newly constructed official camp office, 'Bodhi Pavilion' at the Dr. MCRHRD Institute in Jubilee Hills, Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Saturday sought to debunk allegations by BRS leader Harish Rao that hundreds of crores of rupees had been spent on the project.

Responding to claims that the government had splurged lavishly on the camp office, including an alleged Rs 17 crore expenditure on fencing and securing the premises, Revanth Reddy himself took the media for a walking tour of the facility to judge for themselves.

"This is not a palace. It is just a simple camp office," the Chief Minister said, pointing out that the building consists of only essential facilities such as a few rooms, a living hall and a conference room for official meetings. The premises, he added, also feature an open lawn with greenery and a standard boundary wall, with no extravagant architectural elements.

When reporters referred to a government order reportedly sanctioning Rs 17 crore for fencing and security works, Revanth Reddy challenged them to inspect the site and decide whether the visible infrastructure justified such claims.

Questioned about the choice of the Dr. MCRHRD Institute as the location for the camp office, the Chief Minister explained that, as the Chairman of the institute, he found suitable vacant land within the campus for the project. He stressed that the camp office is not meant for any individual but is an official facility belonging to the office of the Chief Minister of Telangana.

"Whoever occupies the Chief Minister's chair in the future can use this camp office," he said, before adding with a smile that he expected to continue using it until 2034 as well, expressing confidence that the Congress would retain power and he would return for a second term as Chief Minister.

Revanth Reddy also underlined the practical need for a separate official camp office, saying that judges, constitutional authorities and other eminent personalities often prefer not to visit a Chief Minister's residence for official interactions.

"A dedicated camp office provides a neutral and convenient venue for meetings and official discussions," he said, asserting that the facility was created to improve governance and administrative accessibility rather than to provide personal luxury.

The media walkthrough comes amid an escalating political war of words between the ruling Congress and the opposition BRS over the cost and necessity of the new camp office, with the government maintaining that the allegations of extravagance are politically motivated and misleading.