Defence Minister Rajnath Singh Lays Foundation Stone of Thal Sena Bhawan at Delhi Cantt
- The Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh laid the foundation stone of Thal Sena Bhavan at Delhi Cantonment, opposite the Manekshaw Centre, on 21 February 2020.
- The Thal Sena Bhavan is the new headquarter of the Indian Army and will bring all Army HQ offices under one roof, including newly created Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) office.
- Currently, Indian Army works from eight different locations in the Capital, such as South Block, Sena Bhawan, Hutments Area, RK Puram, Shankar Vihar and other places.
- Spread over an area of 39 acres, the project is likely to be constructed in five years.
Thal Sena Bhavan
- Thal Sena Bhavan will be constructed to house the office complex and parking. It will have a total of 6,014 offices for around 1,684 officers, both military and civilian, over an area of approximately 7.5 lakh square metre.
- The building is conceptualised as a multistorey green building adopting Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment (GRIHA) norms.
Where will Chief of the Indian Army Sit??
- Important directorates including the Chief of the Indian Army working in close coordination with the Centre would continue to have their office in South Block.
What about other two divisions of Indian Armed Forces?
- Similar changes will be made with the headquarters of Indian Navy and Air Force in phased manner.
Why Shifting of Headquarter?
- The initiative is part of the Modi government’s Central Vista redevelopment project, which plans to convert North and South block into musuems.