Editor Mr.Mayank Rawat ( Chief Editor Mr. Rohit Mishra )
New Delhi: Public Works Department (PWD) is exploring two options to ensure Delhi Secretariat, a crucial hub of governance in the national capital, is structurally safe and strong. The proposals are expected to be presented to Delhi govt soon for final approval.
In 2023, a structural audit by Jadavpur University, commissioned by the department on the directions of Delhi High Court, had found the structure, also known as Player’s Building, “seismically unsafe, dilapidated and in a structurally vulnerable condition”. Based on the report submitted by JU, a retrofitting project was planned for the structure. However, the work is yet to start.
“The earlier plan is yet to be executed. The main challenge that we face is shifting the entire staff and offices to a temporary structure for a few years, which will add to the overall cost. There is another option that is being explored – that we demolish the entire building and construct a new one,” said a source.
The chief minister, her cabinet colleagues and top bureaucrats currently operate from Delhi Secretariat.
The previous AAP govt was also exploring a ‘twin-tower’ project — a plan to construct two connecting towers in ITO by demolishing buildings like MSO and Vikas Bhawan. The project entailed 35-storey twin towers, complete with all modern facilities. PWD floated a tender in Dec 2021 to hire a consultancy firm for the project, but no progress has been made.
In the past few days, Delhi has recorded several tremors, raising concerns over the structural safety of many buildings that may be vulnerable.
Mayank Rawat
