Delhi moves closer to new ‘twin tower’ secretariat at ITO after I-T dept clears key hurdle

Delhi Secretariat

The Delhi government has finalised a major step towards building a new secretariat complex at the busy ITO area in central Delhi. Officials from the Public Works Department (PWD) have prepared a “twin tower” plan that will see two large buildings functioning together as a single administrative hub.

The development will come up on 17.5 acres of land, split by a major road, creating a modern and connected base for the city’s governance.

The most important breakthrough came after the Income Tax (I-T) Department agreed to allow redevelopment of its 4.5-acre campus. This land currently houses the iconic Income Tax Office (ITO) that gives the popular crossing its name.

Located between the 6.5-acre MSO complex and the 6.5-acre Vikas Bhawan land, the I-T department’s property had long been the biggest obstacle in creating one continuous area large enough to accommodate the new secretariat.

With the approval now in place, the government can move ahead with a larger, more practical design instead of having to work around separated and broken-up plots.

According to officials, the Income Tax Department has given its approval for redevelopment on the condition that it will receive built-up space based on its current and future needs. This requirement has been estimated at around one million square feet, which will be included in the final design of the twin towers.

The entire project is expected to have a total built-up area of nearly three million square feet. After the I-T department is given its share, the remaining two million square feet will be used by the Delhi government. This space will be used to bring together almost all major departments that are currently operating from different parts of the city.

PWD Minister Parvesh Verma said the ITO location emerged as the most suitable option after long discussions. “We studied several locations, but this one has proven to be the most practical. With the cooperation of the Income Tax department, we now have access to a large, continuous plot that gives us a bigger opportunity to design a modern, sustainable, and efficient administrative complex,” he was quoted by Hindustan Times as saying.

An earlier plan for the site had suggested building two skyscrapers over the MSO and Vikas Bhawan complexes. These buildings were to be connected by either a skywalk or an underground passage. The Rs 2,000-crore-plus project was planned to house the chief minister’s office, cabinet ministers, senior officials, and departments such as the PWD, GST, food safety, and other key wings of the government. However, now that the I-T land has been added, officials say that the entire architectural plan will be redesigned to suit the expanded area.

Once the cabinet gives formal approval, a transaction advisor will be appointed to work out the finer details of the project. These include the exact layout of the buildings, the number of floors, how the space will be divided, the final project cost, and special architectural features.

One possible design option under discussion is to place the main Delhi government secretariat on one side of Indraprastha Marg, while the new Income Tax building will be set up on the opposite side of the road. Both sides will be connected through safe and smooth internal pathways to ensure easy movement.

The push for a new secretariat is not new. The current Delhi Secretariat, located on Vikas Marg, was originally built as accommodation for athletes during the 1982 Asian Games. The building covers just over 40,000 square metres and was never designed to handle the massive administrative demands of a capital city.

Over the years, government departments have outgrown the space. As a result, many important offices now operate from rented buildings or ageing government structures scattered across Delhi. This includes departments such as revenue, labour, transport, excise, education, GST, and food and civil supplies.

The Delhi government has finalised a major step towards building a new secretariat complex at the busy ITO area in central Delhi. Officials from the Public Works Department (PWD) have prepared a “twin tower” plan that will see two large buildings functioning together as a single administrative hub.

The development will come up on 17.5 acres of land, split by a major road, creating a modern and connected base for the city’s governance.

The most important breakthrough came after the Income Tax (I-T) Department agreed to allow redevelopment of its 4.5-acre campus. This land currently houses the iconic Income Tax Office (ITO) that gives the popular crossing its name.

Located between the 6.5-acre MSO complex and the 6.5-acre Vikas Bhawan land, the I-T department’s property had long been the biggest obstacle in creating one continuous area large enough to accommodate the new secretariat.

With the approval now in place, the government can move ahead with a larger, more practical design instead of having to work around separated and broken-up plots.

According to officials, the Income Tax Department has given its approval for redevelopment on the condition that it will receive built-up space based on its current and future needs. This requirement has been estimated at around one million square feet, which will be included in the final design of the twin towers.

The entire project is expected to have a total built-up area of nearly three million square feet. After the I-T department is given its share, the remaining two million square feet will be used by the Delhi government. This space will be used to bring together almost all major departments that are currently operating from different parts of the city.

PWD Minister Parvesh Verma said the ITO location emerged as the most suitable option after long discussions. “We studied several locations, but this one has proven to be the most practical. With the cooperation of the Income Tax department, we now have access to a large, continuous plot that gives us a bigger opportunity to design a modern, sustainable, and efficient administrative complex,” he was quoted by Hindustan Times as saying.

An earlier plan for the site had suggested building two skyscrapers over the MSO and Vikas Bhawan complexes. These buildings were to be connected by either a skywalk or an underground passage. The Rs 2,000-crore-plus project was planned to house the chief minister’s office, cabinet ministers, senior officials, and departments such as the PWD, GST, food safety, and other key wings of the government. However, now that the I-T land has been added, officials say that the entire architectural plan will be redesigned to suit the expanded area.

Once the cabinet gives formal approval, a transaction advisor will be appointed to work out the finer details of the project. These include the exact layout of the buildings, the number of floors, how the space will be divided, the final project cost, and special architectural features.

One possible design option under discussion is to place the main Delhi government secretariat on one side of Indraprastha Marg, while the new Income Tax building will be set up on the opposite side of the road. Both sides will be connected through safe and smooth internal pathways to ensure easy movement.

The push for a new secretariat is not new. The current Delhi Secretariat, located on Vikas Marg, was originally built as accommodation for athletes during the 1982 Asian Games. The building covers just over 40,000 square metres and was never designed to handle the massive administrative demands of a capital city.

Over the years, government departments have outgrown the space. As a result, many important offices now operate from rented buildings or ageing government structures scattered across Delhi. This includes departments such as revenue, labour, transport, excise, education, GST, and food and civil supplies.