Office for LG in a "dangerous" building

Amitabh Shukla

New Delhi, August 19

The search of the Lt Governor B.L. Joshi, who was trying to find a "most suitable" office accommodation for himself, ended in a building which has already been declared dangerous by the authorities.

After he joined as the LG, Joshi opted to stay in the original Raj Niwas in the Civil Lines. However, he got tempted with the charms of New Delhi soon. The LG finally decided to establish a camp office in the Lutyen's Delhi.

As the house at 3, Moti Lal Nehru Marg, vacated by former LG Vijai Kapoor has been allotted to Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, there was hardly much option left. Sources said one fine morning the LG issued instructions to the officials to locate a suitable location and building for his camp office.

The government officials and the personal staff of the LG identified several possible locations for the camp office. He was subsequently taken around to select one of these.

Much to the surprise and discomfort of the officials, the LG selected one building in what is called as the barracks of the Kasturba Gandhi Marg. For the perplexed officials, the problem is to renovate the dilapidated building and make it fit for an office complex, befitting the status of the LG. Ironically, this particular building has already been declared dangerous for housing by the Public Works Department of the Delhi government.

As the insistence on the same building persisted, the Engineers in the Delhi government are in a fix as to how to make this "dangerous building" fit for use as the LG's office. Top officials of the department are now busy devising means and ways to renovate it, including consultation from the experts. (2004)