Our Bureau
New Delhi
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 new Common Central Secretariat buildings under the Central Vista redevelopment project.
The Central Public Works Department (CPWD), in a letter dated September 16, has asked the concerned authorities to vacate and hand over the premises by the end of September. The proposed Kartavya Bhawan 4 and 5 will come up on the existing footprint of the two buildings at Plot No. 120, Dr Rajendra Prasad Road.
The CPWD said the site must be handed over to the executing agency to enable construction to begin as scheduled. The development marks the transition of the project from the planning and tendering stage to physical construction.
According to tender documents, the Kartavya Bhawan 4 and 5 project is estimated to cost around ₹3,155 crore, including five years of operation and maintenance. Construction is expected to take 24 months. The two buildings will form part of the larger Common Central Secretariat planned under the Central Vista redevelopment.
Shastri Bhawan and Krishi Bhawan have housed several important ministries and government offices for decades, including the Ministries of Education, Information and Broadcasting, Agriculture, Women and Child Development, Social Justice and Corporate Affairs.
The proposed redevelopment will consolidate government offices into new secretariat facilities. Earlier tender documents had specified that the existing buildings would be dismantled before construction of the new complexes.
The demolition will also affect the architectural and artistic legacy associated with Shastri Bhawan. Murals by renowned artist Satish Gujral, installed on the building’s facade in 1968, are being considered for removal and relocation before demolition.
The September 30 deadline will therefore mark a significant step in the transformation of Delhi’s central administrative district, as government departments complete their relocation and the site is prepared for construction.