Hyderabad: A high level committee officials of engineering-in-chiefs from AP recommended that 2 lakh sq. feet of space in Guntur’s famous chilli yard was available to set up government offices.

Spread over 56 acres with nearly 25 lakh square feet of area, it is the largest chilli yard in Asia and a hub for chilli exports. If the recommendation of the committee is accepted, the staff working for the Andhra Pradesh government would have to bear the heat, literally.

The Guntur chilli is known for its pungency and it is difficult for anyone to even stand for a couple of minutes in the chilli yard.

On their part, the government employees said none of them would agree to work in offices set up in the chilli yard. “As it is, employees are not willing to shift from Hyderabad to Vijayawada or Guntur. Now the chilli yard proposal will make them go red like hot chillies,” an employee said.

AP Secretariat Seemandhra Employees’ Forum leader Murali Krishna said setting up of offices in or near the chilli yard was not correct. The Mirchi Yard should be utilised only for the purpose it was established for, he said.

When contacted, roads and buildings engineer-in-chief Dr G.V.S. Suryanarayana Raju, who is heading the committee, confirmed that they had identified three locations to set up the government offices.

“One of the three locations is the Guntur district Mirchi Yard. About 2 lakh sq. feet of space in it can be taken on lease to set up offices. The remaining can be left for farmers to sell their produce,” he said.

“The other two locations identified are marketing yards and godowns in Vijayawada and the Acharya Nagarjuna University campus. The university administration has expressed its willingness to give two blocks and some space that comes to 2 lakh sq. feet,” Dr Raju said. He added that the state would take a final decision.