PM to lay foundation of Vanijya Bhawan on June 22

Speed Post News Network

New Delhi : PM Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone of Vanijya Bhawan, a new office complex for the Commerce Department of the Government of India, on June 22, 2018.  Located near India Gate, it is being built on a plot of 4.33 acre belonging to erstwhile Directorate General of Supplies and Disposals (DGS&D) at the junction of Akbar and Man Singh Roads.

Strictly conforming to Central Vista norms, the building will have an area of 19,233.745 sq. metres.  It will accommodate about 1,000 officers and staff.  While retaining the Central Vista architecture, the Vanijya Bhawan will have all modern technology driven features. It will be a completely paperless office with state of the art facilities such as smart access control, central air-conditioning, video conferencing, and completely networked systems, according to a PIB release.

The layout of the building has been planned in a way to minimise the number of trees that would have to be cut. More than 56% of the 214 trees on the plot are either being left untouched or are being replanted on the same plot. About 70% of the big trees have been saved while 230 new trees are also being planted on the same plot to ensure that tree cover on the site would increase after construction of the new building.

The new building will be a symbol of not only India’s growing economic might but also the adoption and use of technology in governance in India.

The Department of Commerce is currently housed in Udyog Bhawan which also houses a large number of other Government of India departments leading to constraint of space. A few of its attached and subordinate offices like the Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) and Government e-Marketplace (GeM) are operating from rented premises.