Modi to lay foundation stone for commerce ministry complex tomorrow

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will tomorrow lay the foundation stone of Vanijya Bhawan, a new office complex here for the department of commerce that is estimated to cost Rs 226 crore.

Located near India Gate, the complex is being built on a plot of 4.33 acres, belonging to erstwhile Directorate General of Supplies and Disposals (DGS&D), the commerce ministry said in a statement. It said the building, which will accommodate about 1,000 officers and other staff, is going to be environment friendly.

It will be a completely paperless office with modern facilities such as smart access control, video conferencing and completely networked systems. The statement said that over 56 per cent of the 214 trees on the plot are either being left untouched or are being replanted on the same plot.

It further said that with the addition of new responsibilities like integrated logistics sector development, the role of the department will become even more important for the economic growth of the country. The department is currently housed in Udyog Bhawan, which also has large number of other ministries leading to constraint of space.