West Bengal govt starts to shift offices out of New Secretariat

KOLKATA: The state government has started shifting the offices of various departments, such as PWD, housing, sports and youth affairs, law, tourism, police and labour, from the New Secretariat building to house several courts, including fast track courts and tribunals, there.
Most of the government offices are set to be shifted to Salt Lake and New Town while some are being transferred to Writers' Buildings, which is undergoing renovation.
The space crunch in the adjoining city civil court had prompted the Calcutta High Court officials to ask for space in the New Secretariat Building. They made a requisition of 50,000 sq ft area.
The official said that the G+8 building in the B Block is going to be vacated completely as the process of accommodating the space for the court officials will start soon.
On June 22, a meeting was held by chief secretary H K Dwivedi to discuss the shifting of offices out of the New Secretariat building as the HC had wanted 50,000 sq ft area to shift some courts from the city civil court and also from chief metropolitan magistrate's courts. Several new tribunals are also going to be created in the New Secretariat. The New Secretariat building was set up in 1954 as the then chief minister, Bidhan Chandra Roy, took the initiative for a second secretariat. It was designed following the architecture of the United Nations Headquarters in New York and the New Secretariat came up on an acre corner plot barely a kilometer from Writers' Buildings.
Several ministers and secretaries still have their offices in the building and they may have to shift from there.
An official said that negotiations are on as most of the officials and departments are unwilling to move out of this building, which is centrally located and from where travelling to Nabanna is easier in comparison with other offices. Last Friday, the PWD decided to shift the office of PWD's chief engineer to Writers Buildings.
The PWD officials said this is going to be a temporary arrangement as they are looking for new space. Even the office of chief government architect is also likely to be shifted. Many officials are finding it difficult to commute as their offices are located in far flung areas across Salt Lake and New Town.