The drone flies in slowly over the blue Hussainsagar in Hyderabad. The domes of the alabaster white Telangana Secretariat come into the frame. The drone circles and shows the magnificent building that has become the talk of the town since its inauguration in April this year, built at a cost of ₹616 crore.
This is a video made by the State government in English, and has been posted across multiple handles. The voice over calls it a “jewel in the crown of Telangana”, also saying that the State is “striving for the upliftment of the people and the welfare of the downtrodden”.
Below the building, on the road that runs parallel to the railway track is the Pattigadda slum in the Sanathnagar Assembly Constituency. “We will vote depending on the mood that day. We no longer have trust in the government and don’t expect anything. We may get or may not get the two-BHK [bedroom-hall-kitchen] houses,” says Raju, a driver who lives in the shanty.
