PMO moves out of South Block today, the auspicious day of Makar Sankranti. It’s a first since Independence
The relocation of the Prime Minister’s Office marks the end of an era, as it has been located in the South Block since India’s independence in 1947.
The new address is ‘Seva Teerth’ complex, built as part of the Central Vista Redevelopment Project.
The complex has been designed to house the Prime Minister’s Office, the Cabinet Secretariat, and the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS), with each three of them having a separate building. The new place boasts of modern workspaces and grand ceremonial rooms, reflecting the theme of ‘service’ (seva).
While ‘Seva Teerth 2’ is already occupied by the Cabinet Secretariat, which relocated in September last year, ‘Seva Teerth-3’ will accommodate the National Security Advisor’s office.
Once vacated, the South and North Blocks will be converted into a public museum, ‘Yuge Yugeen Bharat Sangrahalaya’. An agreement was signed on December 19, 2024 with France’s Museum Development Agency for the technical cooperation for the development of the planned museum.
The entire Seva Teerth premises (also known as Executive Enclave) is being built at a cost of Rs 1,189 crore by Larsen & Toubro. It covers 2,26,203 sq ft. A new official residence for the Prime Minister, named “Executive Enclave Part 2” for now, is also under construction nearby. This shift aligns with Prime Minister Modi’s vision of shedding the colonial legacy. His government had earlier renamed New Delhi’s iconic Rajpath to Kartavya Path.
As part of the wider efforts to modernise central government workspaces and improve efficiency in administration and governance, new Common Central Secretariat (CCS) buildings are being built to consolidate ministries that are currently spread across various parts of Delhi. One such building, Kartavya Bhawan, was inaugurated in August last year and is already housing multiple ministries.
News Edit KV Raman
