All 10 of the new Common Central Secretariat (CCS) buildings, to be named as Kartavya Bhawan, are likely to be completed in 2027, Housing and Urban Affairs Secretary Srinivas Katikithala said Tuesday. The Secretary also said that a metro corridor connecting all the buildings with Indraprastha station on one side and Ramkrishna Ashram Marg station on the other is also being planned.
The first of the 10 buildings, Kartavya Bhawan (KB) 3, will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday, Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Manohar Lal said.
Construction on CCS 10 at the site Raksha Bhawan, and CCS 6 and CCS 7 at the site of the old Vice-President’s house and Vigyan Bhawan Annexe on Maulana Azad Road is also ongoing.
The work on the buildings, CCS 4 and CCS 5 at the site of Shastri Bhawan and Krishi Bhawan, and CCS 8 and CCS 9 at the site of Udyog Bhawan and Nirman Bhawan will start by December 31, the secretary said. He said the buildings are likely to be completed in “20 to 22 months”, adding that the National Museum, the National Archives, Jawahar Bhawan and Vanijya Bhawan buildings would be retained.
The Ministries of Home Affairs, Rural Development, External Affairs, Personnel, Petroleum and Natural Gas and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises will be located in the KB 3 building, the secretary said.
The minister said that the ministries moving out of Shastri Bhawan, Udyog Bhawan, Nirman Bhawan and Krishi Bhawan will be accommodated in the CCS buildings, but some will be temporarily located in buildings outside of the Central Vista area.
He also said the Prime Minister’s Office would also soon shift out of South Block to the new Executive Enclave that is under construction. An official said that work on the PM’s residence, called Executive Enclave 2, is also on.
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On the cost of KB 3, the minister said it was split into the tendered cost, `3,690 crore, and then the cost for delegate services. The final cost would be known upon completion.
On why picnics were recently disallowed at the India Gate lawns, the secretary said the office of the CEO, Kartavya Path, along with a joint secretary level officer in MoHUA and the local police, were assessing “who comes for what purpose”. “The whole vista has to be designed to enable the citizens who are coming either for recreation purposes or to access the Central Secretariat or to go and visit the museums…”.
