CSS officers objected to the internal structure of 'Kartavya Bhawan', questions raised on confidentiality-efficiency

Central Secretariat Service (CSS) officials have penned a letter to the Prime Minister's Office and expressed serious reservations about the internal design of the new 'Kartavya Bhawan-3'. Authorities opine that this building's open layout setup is not only compromising confidentiality but also influencing the productivity of analytical work. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had inaugurated this building on Wednesday, the first among a series of 10 new Central Secretariat buildings.

The CSS Forum has said in its letter that placing several departments and sections in the same workplace without any clear demarcation is a threat to confidentiality. There is neither a separate storage space for Assistant Section Officers nor adequate isolation to maintain focus during work. The spaces created for Section Officers and Under Secretaries by installing low-height cupboards do not meet the standards of privacy.

The forum says that when officers talk to senior officials on the telephone or face-to-face in open spaces, other employees can hear the conversation. This increases the risk of premature leakage of information on sensitive matters. Earlier, the Under Secretary used to get a separate room that maintained confidentiality, but now that arrangement is not there.

Karvtav Bhawan-3, which was opened by the Prime Minister, comprises the Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of External Affairs, Rural Development, Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME), Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, and the Office of the Principal Scientific Advisor to the Prime Minister. The government aims to increase the speed and coordination of work by bringing various ministries under one roof.

The CSS Forum has urged that the design of the workplace be reviewed to ensure privacy, efficiency, and mental concentration. He said such an open office system is not suitable for analytical and sensitive work, and it is adversely affecting the efficiency of the officers.