The postal address of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister’s office has changed after SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and CM Akhilesh Yadav inaugurated the CM’s new Secretariat — now called lok Bhavan.
“The Samajwadi Party Government has made the new Secretariat building and wish to continue sitting here after Vidhan Sabha polls,” Yadav said after inaugurating the building on Monday. later, Yadav also held the maiden Cabinet meeting at the new building.
The CM said that the building has been inaugurated during Navratra — the most pious period as per the Hindu calendar — and hope that all bad omen will be over now.
After the function, Mulayam Singh Yadav along with his younger brother and state SP president Shivpal Singh Yadav and the CM went around the building.
Interestingly, several youth leaders, who were expelled from the party by Shivpal Yadav on the direction of Mulayam Singh Yadav, were present during the function.
Built at a cost of Rs 602 crore, the new Secretariat has a capacity to accommodate 1,330 officers and employees. Situated across the Vidhan Bhawan, the new building will be the new seat of power. Apart from the Secretariat, the building will also house offices of Chief Secretary, Principal Secretary (Information) and Principal Secretary (Personnel).
The five-storeyed building has an underground parking area besides a 100-seat conference room and 600-seat auditorium. Block A of the complex will serve as underground parking and also house security offices. The Block B will house the CM’s office on the top floor -the fifth floor or ‘pancham tal’.
At present, the CM sits on the fifth floor of the Secretariat known as Shastri Bhawan.
Chief Secretary will work from the first floor and so will Principal Secretary (Appointment). The fourth floor will be reserved for section officers working with the CM’s office. The CM’s Principal Secretary will be on the fourth floor.
The “Pancham Tal” will also house a spacious hall for the CM’s advisor — the post currently held by former Chief Secretary Alok Ranjan — and a cabinet hall.
The C-block will house offices of Principal Secretary (Home) and the office of Industrial Development Commissioner.
The new building was built to accommodate the growing size of departments and to offer more space to the Chief Minister’s office.
CM’s advisor Alok Ranjan said that this is a state of the art building having all modern facilities and has adequate space for the officers.