39 acres complex to house Thal Sena Bhawan: 5 things to know about new army HQs

Sena Bhawan, located near the South Block, will continue to function from its premises. It houses several key offices of the army.

Defence minister Rajnath Singh will lay the foundation stone of the Thal Sena Bhawan in Delhi Cantt on February 21. Once ready, it will house various army establishments that are scattered across the national capital, including offices that currently operate out of hutments or barrack-like structures.

The army, which is the biggest among the three services, had been demanding a new complex for several years to accommodate its several wings that are scattered across Delhi. (HT File)

Here are five things you need to know about the Thal Sena Bhawan:

1. The Thal Sena Bhawan will come up near the army’s sprawling Manekshaw Centre in Delhi Cantt. Spread over 39 acres, the multi-storeyed building will be able to accommodate around 6,000 personnel. The building complex is expected to be ready by 2024-25.

2. Sena Bhawan, located near the South Block, will continue to function from its premises. It houses several key offices of the army. The army chief and several other senior officers who occupy offices in South Block will continue to sit there until the defence ministry moves out to a new location under the central vista redevelopment plan.

3. The army, which is the biggest among the three services, had been demanding a new complex for several years to accommodate its several wings that are scattered across the city. It has several offices functioning out of RK Puram.

4. The Thal Sena Bhawan is coming up at a time when the government has given its nod to the central vista redevelopment plan that includes a slew of changes to existing structures, with a new Parliament building and a common secretariat for all central government offices among the most prominent new features.

5. According to the plan, the North and South Block office complexes will be turned into national museums. The Prime Minister’s residence will be shifted behind the existing South Block complex while the residence of the Vice President will move behind North Block. The central government ministries including those in the North and South Block will be shifted to a common secretariat.