The shift from the colonial-era red sandstone North Block to the centrally air-conditioned Kartavya Bhavan is not sitting well with sections of central government employees, several of whom have complained about the “random” allotment of space undermining confidentiality and efficiency.
The Central Secretariat Service Forum (CSSF), a body of central government officials, had last month written to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) and the ministry of housing and urban affairs (MoHUA) about the “arbitrary” allocation of office spaces to officials ignoring ranks in violation of the established norm.
The government chose to ignore their concerns, the officials said.
The ministries of home affairs, petroleum and natural gas, and rural development, and the department of personnel and training have been shifted to the new building following its inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 6.
Kartavya Bhavan
Hundreds of officers across ranks sit in open halls in the new building, which mimics a swanky corporate office. Assistant section officers and section officers have to share long desks fitted with computers, while Group-A-ranked undersecretaries have been allotted open cubicles, affecting the working environment by impinging on privacy and efficiency, the employees have complained.
Only deputy secretaries, directors and joint secretaries have got rooms of their own.
“This building looks good from the outside. Passersby will feel impressed. Those working inside are unhappy. If you get a call on your mobile, you have to step out into the corridor so as not to disturb your colleagues in the open hall. The work environment feels very demotivating,” said an undersecretary on the condition of anonymity.
The older buildings at the North Block, Shastri Bhavan or Krishi Bhavan had open halls too, but each hall used to house one or two sections of a particular ministry, making it less crowded. Even undersecretary-level officials used to have their own rooms there.
“There is no door in the cubicles at Kartavya Bhavan. Anybody can come in anytime. The people who designed the seating arrangements should have given some thought to ensure the confidentiality associated with our line of work,” said an official.
In its letter to the PMO, the CSSF referred to a March 2017 office order of the MoHUA specifying the norms on office space allotment to officials of different ranks. According to the order, deputy secretaries and directors are supposed to get office space of 240sqft, followed by 120 sqft for undersecretaries, 60sqft for section officers and 40sqft for assistant section officers.
“However, CSS officers are being allotted less space than mandated, impacting confidentiality and efficiency. The seating arrangement at Kartavya Bhavan-3 lacks the necessary spatial integrity and functional separation of sections,” said the letter by the forum.
The forum said the undersecretaries handle sensitive matters such as classified files, court cases and vigilance issues, which require a private workspace.
“It seems that the very infrastructure designed to last for decades is being mismanaged, thus failing to meet its intended purpose from the very beginning due to the arbitrary allocation of spaces,” it said.
The forum has demanded that the government review the seating arrangements and take corrective measures.
The Telegraph sent an email to MoHUA secretary Srinivas R. Katikithala, seeking his view on the concerns expressed by the central officials. His response is awaited.