Central Secretariat Service officers raise concern over layout of new office building

An organisation representing central secretariat service (CSS) officers has flagged concerns that the open layout of a newly-constructed Central government office building would adversely impact confidentiality and efficiency of those working there.

In a letter to principal secretary to the prime minister, the central secretariat service forum (CSSF), which represents CSS Group B and CSS Organised Group A officers, said the layout of the new building is going to adversely affect focus and critical thinking essential for analytical work, as well as the discreet handling of sensitive matters.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday inaugurated Kartavya Bhavan , the first of the 10 upcoming Common Central Secretariat buildings to house the bureaucracy.

The ambitious project is aimed at bringing ministries and departments under one roof for efficiency.

The Kartavya Bhavan-03, the first building that has been inaugurated, will house the ministries of home affairs, external affairs, rural development, MSME, DoPT, petroleum and natural gas, and the principal scientific advisor's office.

"The seating arrangement in Kartavya Bhawan-3 lacks the necessary spatial integrity and functional separation of sections. In addition, multiple sections are housed in a single work hall without clear demarcation.

"Assistant section officers (ASOs), who are central to file processing and examining, lack dedicated storage for both physical storage and stationery as well as partitions between their workspaces.

"Further, office space for section officer and under secretary-level officers has been created by putting low height almirahs, which not only compromises privacy but also causes intermittent distractions, adversely affecting focus and critical thinking essential for analytical work, as well as the discreet handling of sensitive matters," the CSSF said in its letter.

The organisation said the officers have been provided open office space, wherein their telephonic and in-person discussions with senior authorities and other officials can be easily be overheard.

"This is particularly problematic for sections dealing with sensitive matters, where premature disclosure could compromise outcomes. In the existing set up, separate rooms are used to be provided to under secretaries to ensure the necessary confidentiality for their critical responsibilities," it said.