WATCH | PM Modi inaugurates Kartavya Bhavan; dedicates it to the nation

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday inaugurated Kartavya Bhavan-03, the first of ten upcoming Common Central Secretariat (CCS) buildings at Kartavya Path in New Delhi. The landmark project is designed to bring together major ministries and government departments under one roof, streamlining administration for improved efficiency.

The newly constructed Kartavya Bhavan-03 will accommodate the Ministries of Home Affairs, External Affairs, Rural Development, MSME, DoPT, Petroleum & Natural Gas, and the office of the Principal Scientific Adviser. Many of these ministries currently operate out of ageing buildings like Shastri Bhawan, Krishi Bhawan, Udyog Bhawan, and Nirman Bhawan—structures built between the 1950s and 1970s that the government has described as "structurally outdated and inefficient."

Prime Minister Modi, alongside Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and HUA Secretary Katikithala Srinivas, toured the new building, with Srinivas providing a detailed briefing on its advanced features. The HUA Ministry has laid out plans to construct a total of ten CCS buildings under the Central Vista redevelopment project. Of these, CCS 1 and 2 are expected to be completed by next month, CCS 10 by April next year, and buildings 6 and 7 by October 2026.

During the ongoing construction, current offices from Shastri Bhawan, Krishi Bhawan, Udyog Bhawan, and Nirman Bhawan will be temporarily relocated to four new premises on Kasturba Gandhi Marg, Minto Road, and Netaji Palace for two years. A select few government buildings, such as the National Museum, National Archives, Jawaharlal Nehru Bhawan, Dr Ambedkar Auditorium, and Vanijya Bhawan, will be retained under the redevelopment plan.

The Central Vista overhaul has already seen the completion of a new Parliament building, Vice President Enclave, and the redevelopment of Kartavya Path, which stretches from Vijay Chowk to India Gate. Future plans also include an Executive Enclave housing a new Prime Minister's Office (PMO), Cabinet Secretariat, India House, and the National Security Council Secretariat, with a new residence for the prime minister to be constructed in the second phase.

Kartavya Bhavan-03 covers a plinth area of 1.5 lakh square metres, includes a basement of 40,000 square metres, and has parking facilities for 600 cars. The building offers modern amenities such as a creche, yoga room, medical room, cafe, kitchen, and a multipurpose hall. It also features 24 large conference rooms (45-seater), 26 small conference rooms (25-seater), 67 meeting rooms, and 27 lifts.

Following the inauguration, Prime Minister Modi tweeted in Hindi, "Kartavya Bhavan, on the path of duty, is a symbol of our unwavering commitment and continuous efforts toward serving every individual. It will not only help in swiftly delivering our policies and schemes to the people but will also provide a new momentum to the country's development. I am deeply proud to dedicate this building, an example of state-of-the-art infrastructure, to the nation. "

With inputs from ANI