A day before Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to inaugurate the first of the 10 new secretariat buildings planned as a part of the Central Vista redevelopment, a forum representing 13,000 Central Secretariat Service (CSS) officers on Tuesday wrote to the PM’s Office raising concerns that the open layout of the new building would adversely impact confidentiality and efficiency of those working there.
The CSS Forum, which represents CSS Group B and organised Group A officers, wrote to the PM’s Principal Secretary P K Mishra and secretary of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, which is responsible for the Central Vista project, Srinivas Katikithala. The forum flagged what it termed was the violation of the Ministry’s policy for space allocation in Kartavya Bhawan, which the PM will inaugurate on Wednesday.
“The seating arrangement in Kartavya Bhawan-3 lacks the necessary spatial integrity and functional separation of sections. In addition, multiple sections are housed in a single work hall without clear demarcation. Assistant Section Officers (ASOs), who are central to file processing and examining, lack dedicated storage… as well as partitions between their workspaces. Further, office space for Section Officer and Under Secretary level officers has been created by putting low height almirahs, which not only compromises privacy but also causes intermittent distractions, adversely affecting focus and critical thinking essential for analytical work, as well as the discreet handling of sensitive matters,” the forum wrote.
They said under secretaries who work on confidential matters, including classified files, court cases and vigilance issues, need a private workspace.
“However, they have been provided open office space, wherein their telephonic and in-person discussions with senior authorities and other officials can be easily overheard… This is particularly problematic for sections dealing with sensitive matters, where premature disclosure could compromise outcomes. In the existing set up, separate rooms are used to be provided to Under Secretaries to ensure the necessary confidentiality for their critical responsibilities.”
The letter also cited a March 16, 2017 office memorandum of the Directorate of Estates, under MoHUA, which specifies the space to be allotted to officers based on their pay level and designation.
