New Delhi: Army chief General Dhiraj Seth, along with his seven Principal Staff Officers (PSOs) and the Vice Chief, will move lock, stock and barrel from South Block to the Army’s new headquarters, Shaurya Bhavan, in Delhi Cantonment by the end of this month.
Navy chief Admiral Krishna Swaminathan will also move out of South Block, along with his Vice Chief and Principal Staff Officers, to Sena Bhavan, located just behind South Block.
While the Navy already has Nausena Bhavan in Delhi Cantonment, which was inaugurated in 2024, its new headquarters were originally planned to come up next to the DRDO headquarters. However, the Navy has been asked to relinquish the site as part of the Central government’s redevelopment plan.
Incidentally, the office of the Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) and the Army’s war room will also be shifted, sources said.
It is not clear where the Navy’s war room will be relocated, given the extensive infrastructure and technological support required to operate it.
South Block has traditionally housed the headquarters of both the Army and the Navy, with their respective chiefs operating from there.
Officers serving under the Department of Military Affairs, including the Director General of Defence Intelligence Agency (DG DIA), will also move out of South Block.
The Defence Ministry has temporarily shifted to Kartavya Bhavan 2 and will permanently move to Kartavya Bhavan 6 and 7 once the buildings are completed.
Currently, only the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) has an office at Kartavya Bhavan 2. This means the Army chief will have to travel from Delhi Cantonment to meet the Defence Minister and other senior functionaries at Kartavya Bhavan 2 until the new buildings are ready.
Kartavya Bhavan 6 and 7 will also accommodate additional offices for the service chiefs.
(Edited by Viny Mishra)
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