In a landmark move, the central government has decided to demolish Delhi’s famous Krishi Bhawan and Shastri Bhawan and construct Common Central Secretariat (CCS) Buildings 4 and 5 at that site as part of the Central Vista Redevelopment Project with the estimated cost of more than ₹3,006 crore.
The Central Public Works Department (CPWD) began the process of demolition on Monday by floating tenders for the new project.
The tender specifies a construction timeline of two years, while the project contract will also include operation and maintenance for five years after construction.
These two buildings—Shastri Bhawan and Krishi Bhawan—had been built way back in the 1950s and 60s during the expansion phase of the Central Secretariat with a purpose to accommodate the growing administrative machinery of the Union government beyond the original North and South blocks.
But they will soon be things of the past, as, according to tender documents, the seven-story Krishi Bhawan and Shastri Bhawan’s wings A to G will be completely demolished. These buildings currently house several central ministries, which are being relocated to the recently inaugurated Common Secretariat Buildings 1, 2, and 3, called “Kartavya Bhawans.”
The new CCS Buildings 4 and 5 will each be eight stories tall and will be constructed as PEB (pre-engineered building) steel structures, consisting of a basement, ground floor, seven upper floors, and terraces.
Currently several ministries like Agriculture, Rural Development, and Panchayati Raj are functioning in Krishi Bhawan, while many departments, including Information and Broadcasting, Education, and Culture, are headquartered in Shastri Bhawan.
Several ministries operating from Shastri Bhawan are being relocated to the new Common Central Secretariat Building, Kartavya Bhawan-2. The offices of the Ministry of Defence and the CBI, located in the South and North Blocks, will also be relocated to the new building at the Dr. Rajendra Prasad Road-Man Singh Road intersection. According to officials, representatives of the ministries have inspected their new offices, and the relocation is expected to be completed by mid-February, during the budget session recess.
At least 120 rooms have been allocated to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, 45 to the Ministry of Culture, 110 to the Ministry of Law and Justice, 30 to the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, 12 to the Ministry of Agriculture, and over 50 to the Ministry of Education. The Ministry of Defence has been allocated approximately 225 rooms, while 12 rooms on the ground and first floors are reserved for the CBI.
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