Secretariat Food Supply | Hyderabad, July 6: Food supply to the sixth floor of the Telangana Secretariat has reportedly stopped after a contractor suspended services over long pending bills.
The sixth floor houses the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), the Chief Secretary’s office, and several senior officials. Sources said the dues have remained unpaid for nearly two years.
The contractor reportedly stopped supplying breakfast, lunch, snacks, and dinner after repeated requests for payment brought no result. As a result, staff working on the sixth floor have been affected.
Secretariat Food Supply Halted Raises Questions
The sixth floor serves as the administrative centre of the state government. The Chief Minister, the Chief Secretary, senior IAS officers, and CMO officials work from this floor. Moreover, many employees stay on duty from morning until late at night.
Therefore, the government arranges tea, breakfast, lunch, evening snacks, and, whenever required, dinner for officials and support staff. A contractor prepares the meals at a kitchen near the Secretariat and delivers fresh vegetarian food every day.
However, Secretariat sources said the government has not cleared the contractor’s bills for almost two years. During this period, the contractor continued supplying food to hundreds of employees. Consequently, the pending amount has reportedly reached several crores of rupees.
The contractor reportedly approached officials several times and requested payment. He also asked the government to release the dues in phases. According to sources, he explained that he needed funds to buy groceries and pay cooks and other workers. Nevertheless, the payments did not come.
Sources further claimed that different departments shifted responsibility instead of clearing the bills. As a result, the contractor said he could no longer bear the financial burden. He reportedly informed officials that he had exhausted his resources and could not continue spending from his own pocket. Therefore, he suspended food supply.
Meanwhile, the development has sparked discussion among Secretariat employees. Many questioned how such delays could happen at the Chief Minister’s Office itself. They also wondered about the condition of other government offices if payments remain pending even at the state’s highest administrative office.
So far, the Telangana government and the Chief Minister’s Office have not issued an official statement on the reported dues or the suspension of catering services. Therefore, the claims remain based on information shared by Secretariat sources.
