Prime Minister Narendra Modi has a simple — but unusual — question for the Urban Development Ministry: Where is the Government of India located in Delhi?
At a review meeting of the ministry, the PM observed, “Sarkar mein bahut bikhraav hai (The government is too scattered),” according to an official who was present. Modi is learnt to have said it was difficult for anyone new to Delhi to figure out which door to knock in order to approach the government.
According to officials, the PM said he was aware of buildings in Lutyens’s Delhi such as Shastri Bhawan, Vigyan Bhawan, Nirman Bhawan, North Block and South Block etc. But other Government of India offices are spread across the city — the EPFO office, for instance, is in Bhikaji Cama Place.
The PM has followed up on his question, which the official described as “profound”. And as the ministry struggled to find the answer, the PM is learnt to have wondered, at a more recent meeting, “If finding out where the government is located takes so much time, I wonder how long it would take to know what the government actually does.”
Another official said the PM had even wondered aloud if there should be a single highrise of 40 or 50 storeys in which all government offices could be located. “But this has security and other implications,” the official said, adding this was only an off-the-cuff aside from the PM, not really a serious observation.
Former urban development secretary M Ramachandran said information on the location of government offices is scattered. “Parts of it is with the Director of Estates, parts with the CPWD.” But there would be no information on offices such as CAG, which are autonomous.