Shastri Bhawan, Krishi Bhawan to be vacated by Sept 30 for Central Vista project

Shastri Bhawan and Krishi Bhawan, two prominent government office complexes in central Delhi, are set to be vacated by September 30 to make way for the construction of the new Common Central Secretariat buildings, Kartavya Bhawan 4 and 5.

The Central Public Works Department (CPWD) has asked the concerned authorities to hand over the existing premises by the end of the month after the construction tender for the new buildings was awarded.

CPWD seeks handover by September 30

In a letter dated September 16, the Executive Engineer of the Central Vista Project Division-8 said the tender for the construction of Kartavya Bhawan 4 and 5 at Plot No. 120, Dr Rajendra Prasad Road, New Delhi, had been awarded.

The letter said the proposed buildings fall within the footprint of the existing Shastri Bhawan and Krishi Bhawan. The CPWD has therefore requested that necessary action be taken to vacate and hand over the two premises by the end of September.

The move is intended to allow the executing agency to take possession of the site and begin construction as scheduled.

The CPWD letter, as reported by the Tribune, specifically asks the authorities to prioritise the vacation and handing over of the two complexes within the stipulated timeline.

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₹3,155-crore project

The Kartavya Bhawan 4 and 5 project is estimated to cost around ₹3,155 crore, including five years of operation and maintenance. The construction period has been set at 24 months.

The development marks a significant shift from planning and tendering to physical execution on the site occupied by the two existing office complexes.

The new buildings form part of the wider Central Vista redevelopment plan, which envisages new Common Central Secretariat facilities in place of several existing government office buildings.

Ministries and offices to be relocated

Shastri Bhawan and Krishi Bhawan have housed several government ministries and departments over the years. Their vacation will require offices currently operating from the complexes to relocate before the construction agency can take over the site.

The buildings have been part of Delhi's administrative landscape for decades and have accommodated offices linked to ministries and departments including Education, Information and Broadcasting, Women and Child Development, Agriculture, Social Justice and Corporate Affairs.

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The immediate priority is now to complete the relocation process and clear the site within the September 30 deadline.

Once the premises are handed over, construction of Kartavya Bhawan 4 and 5 can commence on the existing Shastri Bhawan-Krishi Bhawan footprint.

The development represents another step in the government's broader effort to reorganise the Central Secretariat and consolidate government offices under the ongoing Central Vista redevelopment programme.