Heritage Committee clears way for construction of common central secretariat
The entire overhaul of the seat of power was conceived in 2019 and is considered a pet project by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to create a legacy free from colonial influence and those of the previous governments
New Delhi: The Heritage Conservation Committee has cleared the way for construction of the of the sixth and seventh common central secretariat (CCS) buildings, replacing the erstwhile residence of the vice-president and the Vigyan Bhawan Annex by the Central Public Works Department (CPWD).

The committee approved the construction proposals on January 6 but said that stone exterior should be used in place of Corten steel proposed in the original plan.
According to the existing plan, these two buildings will form the defence enclave in the new look central secretariat, housing offices of all wings of the armed forces and departments under the ministry of defence.
The clearance by the HCC, having representation of various government agencies such as the Archaeological Survey of India, Delhi Urban Arts Commission and the union ministry of housing and urban affairs (MoHUA) is a necessity for grounding of the project, which is running way past its originally intended deadline.
CPWD, the executing agency, a department under MoHUA, had floated tenders for the construction of these two buildings in November 2024.
The first three buildings, originally scheduled to be ready by November 2023, are now expected to be ready only by April.
Not only these buildings, the entire overhaul of the seat of power, which was conceived in 2019 and considered a pet project by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to create a legacy free from colonial influence and those of the previous governments, is currently facing multiple delays and changes in plans.
The construction of the common secretariat, of which these buildings are part of along with the new Parliament building, was also contested in the Supreme Court.
