The Central vista project will prove its merit- provided it is executed with honesty and integrity. This exercise will be transformational only when the executors ensure that there is zero malfeasance and the customary huge commissions and systematic pilferage of funds-which has been the norm and bane of huge projects – is totally and stringently curbed, writes former IAS officer V.S.Pandey
The construction activity of Central vista is going on speedily. As per media reports, the new office buildings to be built in this project will be able to accommodate all the ministries and departments of the Central government, which are currently scattered all over Delhi. There has been a lot of criticism of this dream project of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on various grounds. This project was opposed primarily because in pandemic times, it was not immediately needed- the thousands of crores proposed to be spent on this project needed to be utilised for more urgent public utility projects and welfare activities- to ameliorate the lot of the hapless stricken public. Several others opposed this project for not going through the consultation process and ignoring institutions like Delhi Urban Arts Commission and other expert bodies. Opposition also arose because the project involved demolition of many so called historic buildings like Udyog Bhavan, Nirman Bhavan, Krishi Bhavan, Shastri Bhavan, National Archives etc. The issue of “disturbing our legacy and heritage “also bothered many and this matter was also judicially contested before the Delhi High Court and Supreme Court- with no success.
One of the vital components of the Central Vista project is of creating adequate functional space for the central government’s secretariat and other important offices. Those who have had occasion to work in these buildings will vouch that these ancient buildings occupy huge spaces but have inadequate functional areas. They do not have enough space to accommodate the ever increasing requirements of institutional mechanisms for catering to the welfare functions and changing face of the modern Indian state. These buildings, in the colonial style, were not built for accommodating even the basic needs of offices today- including equipment for information technology and air conditioning. A common site in all these buildings is that of loosely hanging electric and telephone wires dangling everywhere – a recipe for disaster. Hence incidents of fire outbreaks are frequent in many of these important buildings-causing disruption and extensive damage to valuable official records.
Shastri Bhavan, which houses nearly 16 ministries or so, presents a very poor picture of the functioning of a big and powerful country like ours. The shortage of space for the ministries located in Shastri Bhavan is so acute that almost every ministry has many of its sections and senior officers located at far off place, leading to loss of efficiency, adequate supervision and control. Many times it becomes difficult to even allocate requisite office space for new Ministers, Secretaries and other level officers. Many secretariat officers of Director and other functional levels are located at a distance of up to 20 kilometers causing serious disruption to normal functioning of the concerned ministries. For years, ad hoc arrangements were made from time to time to somehow manage the crisis and keep offices functional. All this had to end sometime and someone had to take a holistic view of how to manage and correct the mess and resolve the issues, pushed under the rotting carpets for decades.
This dysfunctional way of a running a country’s government had to give way to a well considered and organised space creation for a forward looking nation which is aspiring to play a leading role on the world stage. The advancements made in technology need to be integrated with the new infrastructure to not only ensure a modern functional space for current personnel but also incorporate the futuristic needs of a modern and forward looking nation like ours. This transformational decision was long overdue and for this reason alone- all the arguments against the central vista projects deserve to be ignored. Looking at the security scenario prevailing around the world, we need to have cutting edge security systems installed in our national government’s offices, which is not possible in these office buildings- built more than 70 years ago.
From the functional and security point of view, relocating the Prime Minister’s and Vice President’s residence to the central area is a very prudent move . It will do away with the need for blocking of roads during their VIP movements for security reasons and thereby causing traffic disruptions for hours- which will become a thing of the past , with which our generation had to live for decades. These problems needed to be fixed and this was a way to do it.
Undoubtedly, there is always a counter argument and a differing point of view on every issue and decision taken by the government. Democracy is all about heeding the others viewpoint and respecting it. In a democracy, it is the responsibility of every functionary or government to remain transparent and respond to counter arguments with logic and not brush aside any opposing view point, with disdain.
Instead of Lutyens legacy we should commemorate our own, and remodel the Raj Path and its surrounding to our requirements and present before our people and the world the image of a forward looking modern democratic country rooted in a culture of tolerance, inclusiveness, benevolence and universal brotherhood. Let the virtuous way of life define our legacy and not the buildings and arcades erected by alien powers.
Ultimately, this Central vista project will prove its merit- provided it is executed with honesty and integrity. This exercise will be transformational only when the executors ensure that there is zero malfeasance and the customary huge commissions and systematic pilferage of funds-which has been the norm and bane of huge projects – is totally and stringently curbed. With honest intent defining it, the Central vista project is a prelude for governance to craft much awaited and acutely needed vistas of development and progress for India .Only then will its rulers be immortalized like Vikramadityas of yore.
(Vijay Shankar Pandey is former Secretary to Government of India)
