MHA okays Rs 72-cr secretariat project

Ramkrishan Upadhyay

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 17

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has approved the construction of a new secretariat building for UT offices in Sector 9, Chandigarh. Sources said the work on the project was likely to start from the next financial year as the Administration had included the project in the Budget proposals for which funds had been sought from the Centre.

The Administration has sought Rs 72 crore for the construction of the new secretariat building from the government. Mukesh Anand, Special Secretary of the Engineering Department, said the department was hopeful of getting the required funds for the project in the Budget this year. He said the department had already appointed a consultant for the interior designing of the building while the overall designing of the project would be done by the Architecture Department.

Lalilt Sharma, a former Adviser to the UT Administrator, had laid the foundation stone of the new UT Secretariat building on September 26, 2007, but the project got delayed for various reasons. The proposed building has been conceived as the city’s first five-star-rated green building and a number of features have been incorporated in the design to reduce carbon footprint.

The state-of-the-art secretariat building will have several green building features like the earth air tunnel-forced ventilation system, evaporating cooling system, natural lighting and ventilation for comfortable ambience, central landscape and courtyard planning to encourage solar passive measures and maximise ventilation.

The other features include a rooftop garden, installation of the water harvesting system and solar photovoltaic (SPV) power plant. The offices of the Adviser to the UT Administrator, offices of six UT secretaries and staff of senior officials, meeting rooms, auditorium and dispensary have been planned in the new building. The new building will be constructed between the existing additional deluxe building and the Chandigarh Housing Board building in Sector 9.

The UT Standing Finance Committee had given its administrative approval for the project in 2014. Due to the delay, the cost of the project had also increased. Since the UT Administrator has the power to sanction projects up to Rs 50 crore, the case was lying with the Ministry of Home Affairs for approval.

UT offices under one roof

Once the building is constructed, UT departments will be accommodated under one roof, ensuring smooth functioning of the Administration. The proposed new building will accommodate UT departments, including Excise and Taxation, Social Welfare Department, office of the Controller, Legal Metrology, Health Department, State Agricultural Marketing Board, office of the Block Development and Panchayat Officer and Fisheries Department among others. At present, due to space constraint in the exiting UT Secretariat building, the staff of several UT departments are working from outside the Secretariat.

Consultant appointed for interior designing

The Ministry of Home Affairs has approved the project. The department has already appointed a consultant for the interior designing of the building  while  the overall designing of the project will be done by the Architecture Department. — Mukesh Anand, Special Secy, Engg Dept

Five-star-rated green building

The proposed building has been conceived as the city’s first five-star-rated green building and a number of features have been incorporated in the design to reduce carbon footprint.