Renovated council building to host state budget session

Hyderabad: Chief minister A Revanth Reddy on Sunday inaugurated the renovated Telangana legislative council building, a heritage structure dating back to the Nizam era. The budget session of the council will be held in this restored building from March 16. The state budget is likely to be presented on March 20, however, there could be a change in the date if Eid ul fitr falls on that day.The govt revived the council building to ensure that assembly and council sessions are conducted on a single, unified campus. Council chairman Gutta Sukhender Reddy, speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar, ministers, and senior officials attended the event. The budget session of the assembly will commence with the governor addressing the joint session of the legislature. Originally called the Town Hall, this Nizam-era building now houses the Telangana legislative council. The Revanth govt undertook the renovation of the heritage structure, continuing the Congress govt's vision of having both the legislative assembly and legislative council within a single, unified campus. The restoration was carried out in collaboration with the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC).Since 2018, the legislative council had conducted its proceedings from the council hall within the Jubilee Hall premises, adjacent to the assembly. With the completion of the renovation, council sessions will now be held in the restored building, said the council chairman.The Congress govt plans to use the existing Jubilee Hall for official events. There are also proposals to construct a new central hall for joint sessions of both houses.