India has witnessed transparent, sensitive governance model in last 11 years: PM Modi

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Wednesday that his government is working with a holistic vision to rejuvenate infrastructure nationwide, asserting that India has witnessed a governance model that is transparent, sensitive and citizen-centric over the last 11 years.

Speaking at an event at Kartavya Path hours after inaugurating Kartavya Bhavan, the first of the 10 upcoming state-of-the-art Common Central Secretariat buildings, which will house offices of all ministries, he said the project, along with other infrastructure facilities, symbolise India’s global vision.

The Kartavya Bhavan will guide policies and direction of a developed India, he said, adding that important decisions for the nation will be taken from here.

The prime minister said that his government will utilise 'Kartavya Bhavans' as instruments to help liberate the country from poverty, and will also realise the vision of a Viksit Bharat.

'Kartavya' is not just the name of a building, it is a sacred ground for realising the dreams of millions of countrymen, he said.

Union ministers and dignitaries attended the event at Kartavya Path held hours after Prime Minister Modi inaugurated the first of the upcoming Central Secretariat buildings. Construction workers involved in building Kartavya Bhavan were also present.

The prime minister asserted that the Kartavya Bhavan embodies the resolve to fulfil the nation's dreams, adding that the central government will save Rs 1,500 cr rent annually after construction of 10 buildings of Common Central Secretariat.

The government's administrative machinery for decades ran from British-era buildings, where the working conditions were poor and marked by inadequate space, light and ventilation, he said.

“We have to work together to write the success story of ‘Make in India’ and Aatmanirbhar Bharat. It should be our resolve that we will scale up our and the country’s productivity,” he said.

He said it was also a moment for introspection as India could not develop at the same pace as many other countries, which got independence around the time it did and progressed ahead.

"It is our responsibility that we should not leave current problems to future generations," he said.

In the past 11 years, India has built a governance model that is transparent, responsive and citizen-centric, he said.

'Kartavya Bhavan-03', which was inaugurated by the PM earlier in the day, will house the Home Affairs, External Affairs, Rural Development, MSME, DoPT, Petroleum & Natural Gas ministries, and the Principal Scientific Adviser's office.

The government has plans to construct ten buildings as part of the Common Central Secretariat (CCS) under the government's Central Vista redevelopment project.

Two CCS buildings, 1 and 2, are scheduled to be completed by next month, while construction work on CCS 10 will be finished by April next year. The project of CCS buildings 6 and 7 will be completed by October 2026.

He said that after independence, the country's administrative machinery continued to function from buildings constructed during the British era.

These decades-old structures offered substandard working conditions, lacking sufficient space, adequate lighting, and proper ventilation for the employees, the PM said, pointing out that the Ministry of Home Affairs operated from the same building for over a century, despite the absence of essential resources and facilities.

The plinth area of the Kartavya Bhavan-03 is 1.5 lakh square metres with a basement area of 40,000 square metres. Its parking lot can accommodate 600 cars.

The HUA ministry said the Kartavya Bhavan-03 has a creche, a yoga room, a medical room, a cafe, a kitchen, and a multipurpose hall.

It has 24 main conference rooms, each with a capacity to seat 45 people, 26 small conference rooms, each with a capacity to seat 25 people, 67 meeting rooms, and 27 lifts.

Under the Central Vista redevelopment plan, the government has already constructed a new Parliament building and the Vice President Enclave, and redeveloped the Kartavya Path that spans from Vijay Chowk to India Gate.

Besides the Common Central Secretariat, the government will also construct an Executive Enclave that will house a new Prime Minister's Office (PMO), Cabinet Secretariat, India House and National Security Council Secretariat.

Under the second phase of the Executive Enclave, a new prime minister's residence will be constructed.