‘Open office space poses confidentiality risk’: Govt officers say newly inaugurated Kartavya Bhavan ‘lacks spatial integrity’

As Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurates the Kartavya Bhavan-3 on Wednesday (Aug 6), employees of the Central Secretariat Service (CSS) wrote to PM Modi and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), complaining about cramped workspaces that lack “spatial integrity”. The officers have also highlighted that while even section officers had shared rooms, and deputy secretaries and under-secretaries had individual rooms, no rooms have been given to section and assistant section officers (SOs and ASOs). Under secretaries and deputy secretaries have been given shared rooms.

In their letter sent on Tuesday (Aug 5), the officers said, “It is pertinent to highlight that the seating arrangement in Kartavya Bhavan-3 lacks the necessary spatial integrity and functional separations for its sections.” They further added that not having separate rooms “adversely affects focus and critical thinking” and “discreet handling of sensitive matters.”

“Under secretaries, who are entrusted to handle highly sensitive and confidential matters like classified files, court cases, and vigilance issues, require a private workspace,” the letter reads. “However, they have been provided open office space, wherein their telephonic and in-person discussions with senior authorities and other officials can be easily overheard, posing a serious risk to confidentiality.”

This “directly undermines the Prime Minister’s vision of providing adequate and modernised working environment for all officers. It seems the very infrastructure designed to last for decades is being mismanaged and failing to meet its intended purpose from the very beginning.”

The officers argued that the arrangement in the new building goes against the office space norms provided by the MoHUA. The officials have demanded that the ministries be directed to review existing seating arrangements and implement corrective measures. They also asked for the allocation of adequate office spaces, including closed chambers for officials.

Kartavya Bhavan-3, which spans 1,50,000 square metres with a 40,000 square metres basement and a parking lot for 600 cars, is the first of the 10 upcoming buildings of the Common Central Secretariat (CCS). The project is located at Kartavya Path in New Delhi and aims to bring greater efficiency by bringing various ministries and departments under one roof.