Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Wednesday inaugurate the first of the Common Central Secretariat (CCS) buildings, to be named Kartavya Bhawan.
The Ministry of Home Affairs has already moved into the building. The Ministries of Rural Development, External Affairs, Personnel, Petroleum and Natural Gas and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises are also shifting in, it is learnt.
In a statement Monday, the Prime Minister’s Office said the building was “designed to foster efficiency, innovation, and collaboration by bringing together various Ministries and Departments currently scattered across Delhi.”
These ministries were earlier located in Krishi Bhawan, North Block, South Block, Udyog Bhawan and Shastri Bhawan. The office of the Principal Scientific Advisor will also move into the building, the government said.
The complex will be spread over 1.5 lakh square metres, across two basements, ground floor plus six.
“Solar panels on the roof of Kartavya Bhavan 3 will generate over 5.34 lakh units of electricity every year. Solar water heaters meet more than a quarter of the daily hot water need. Charging stations for electric vehicles are also provided,” the statement said.
The building, known as CCS 3 for now, has been built as a part of a complex of three buildings at the site of the erstwhile Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts on Janpath. The PM is expected to visit and inaugurate the building at around noon, followed by a public event at Kartavya Path to be attended by the Council of Ministers and thousands of government officials starting at 6 pm, it is learnt.
Akal Takht summons Punjab minister Bains
The Akal Takht on Monday asked Punjab Cabinet Minister Harjot Singh Bains to appear before the five Singh Sahiban (high priests) on Wednesday for allegedly “hurting Sikh sentiments”.
Bains has been summoned for organising “entertainment performances” at a programme held in Jammu and Kashmir’s Srinagar to mark the 350th martyrdom anniversary of Sri Guru Teg Bahadur.
A meeting of the five ‘Singh Sahiban’ will be convened at the Akal Takht Sahib Secretariat in Amritsar on August 6 under the leadership of the officiating Jathedar Giani Kuldip Singh Gargaj to deliberate on various ‘Panthic’ and religious matters, said a statement.
Bagicha Singh, in-charge of the Akal Takht Secretariat, stated that an e-mail has been sent to Bains, summoning him to appear before the five Singh Sahiban. He added that Jaswant Singh, director of the language department, Punjab, will be summoned at a later date as he has gone abroad until August 12 for a relative’s wedding.
Earlier, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) had taken strong objection to the “entertainment performances” involving singing and dancing at the event organised by the Punjab government’s language department in Srinagar last month to commemorate the martyrdom anniversary of ninth Sikh Guru, Guru Teg Bahadur.
Revanth Reddy to protest in Delhi
Telangana Backward Classes Welfare Minister Ponnam Prabhakar and other Congress leaders on Tuesday left for Delhi will participate in a dharna led by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Wednesday, demanding Presidential assent for the Backward Classes reservation Bills passed by the state legislature.
Prabhakar, Panchayat Raj Minister D Anasuya Seethakka and other leaders left for Delhi in a flight from the RGI airport Tuesday morning, Congress sources said.
Prabhakar said leaders of all parties who support social justice should help in putting “pressure” on the Centre for the acceptance of the BC quota bills.
He alleged that that BJP is trying to stall the BC Bills by citing inclusion of Muslims among backward classes.
In response, the BJP in Telangana has alleged that Congress, despite promising 42% quotas to BCs, is now allocating 10% of it to Muslims in the guise of Backward Classes.
Maharashtra Assembly panel to meet over leaders
The Maharashtra assembly’s privileges committee will meet on Wednesday to discuss the issue of a scuffle between supporters of MLAs Jitendra Awhad and Gopichand Padalkar in the legislature building premises last month, sources said.
The supporters of NCP (SP) MLA Awhad and BJP’s Padalkar came to blows in the legislature building lobby during the monsoon session on July 17, a day after the two legislators were involved in a heated exchange.
Two supporters — one each of the two legislators — were later arrested.
Speaker Rahul Narwekar had referred the case to the assembly privileges committee.
Its meeting will take place at 2 pm on Wednesday, according to sources.
The Marine Drive police have submitted a report of the case to the committee, which will decide the future course of action, the sources said.
– With PTI inputs