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Shastri Bhawan, Krishi Bhawan set for demolition soon (Img: Dynamite News)
The demolition of two long-standing government office buildings, Shastri Bhawan and Krishi Bhawan in Lutyens’ Delhi, is set to begin soon. Central Public Works Department (CPWD) has asked ministries situated in the buildings to vacate the premises by the September end.
Built between 1956 and 1968, the buildings have housed several important Union ministries for decades. Their planned clearance marks another step in the government’s Central Vista redevelopment project, which aims to replace ageing office buildings along Kartavya Path with new Common Central Secretariat complexes.
According to a CPWD communication dated September 16, the tender for constructing the proposed Kartavya Bhawans has already been awarded. The new buildings will come up within the footprint of the existing Shastri Bhawan and Krishi Bhawan, requiring the site to be handed over to the executing agency by the end of September 2026.
"This is essential to facilitate timely handing over of the site to the executing agency and enable the commencement of construction work as scheduled. It is, therefore, requested to take necessary action on priority for vacation and handing over of the existing Shastri Bhawan and Krishi Bhawan premises within the stipulated time," the communication said.
Named after former prime minister Lal Bahadur Shastri, the seven-storeyed Shastri Bhawan has served as an office hub for ministries including education, petroleum and natural gas, and coal. Krishi Bhawan housed the agriculture and farmers’ welfare and rural development ministries.
Several ministries and departments have already moved out and shifted to newly inaugurated Kartavya Bhawans in the high-security Central Vista area.
The government has proposed 10 Kartavya Bhawans to bring ministries and departments currently spread across different buildings into integrated office complexes. The new facilities are intended to provide secure, technology-enabled workspaces while reducing the maintenance burden associated with older buildings.
Under the wider redevelopment plan, offices from North and South Blocks have also been shifted. The two historic buildings are proposed to be converted into the Yuge Yugeen Bharat National Museum.
With the construction tender awarded and ministries moving out, the clearance of Shastri Bhawan and Krishi Bhawan will pave the way for the next phase of the Central Vista project.
