Prime Minister Modi with Union Ministers Manohar Lal and Jitendra Singh at the first program of ‘Seva Teerth’ and two Kartavya Bhawans. (Press Trust photo)
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday inaugurated two new Kartavya Bhawans and issued commemorative stamps and coins, hours after shifting to the new office ‘Seva Teertha’.” The Prime Minister said that the newly inaugurated building reflects India’s commitment to citizen-centric governance and national progress.
“Today, we are all witnessing that new history is being made… February 13, this day, is witnessing a new beginning in India’s development journey… Today, we are all entering the Seva Teerth and Kartavya Bhavan with the determination to achieve ‘Viksit Bharat’. We have the divine blessing to achieve our goals,” he said.Prime Minister Modi pointed out that after independence, many key decisions that affected the future of the country were taken and key policies were formulated in buildings such as the South Tower and the North Tower.He added that it was important to remember that the buildings were originally built as symbols of the British Empire. “They were built to reinforce British dominance and keep India subjugated for generations,” he said.The Prime Minister said that Seva Teerth and Kartavya Bhavan were constructed to fulfill the aspirations of the people of India.Sevatilt houses the Prime Minister’s Office, the National Security Council Secretariat and the Cabinet Secretariat, all of which earlier functioned from separate locations.Kartavya Bhavan-1 and 2 houses several important ministries including Finance, Defence, Health and Family Welfare, Corporate Affairs, Education, Culture, Law and Justice, Information and Broadcasting, Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Chemicals and Fertilizers and Tribal Affairs.
Here are the key quotes from Prime Minister Modi:
- Future generations should remember this era as a time when India rewrote its destiny.
- I hope Seva Teerth becomes an example of citizen-centric governance.
- The decisions made in these new buildings will determine our journey to becoming a developed nation by 2047.
- The dreams of our citizens are our greatest asset; their aspirations should guide us.
- I hope Seva Teerth becomes an example of citizen-centric governance.
- All of you will play a key role as India gets on the Reform Express and rewrites international relations through new trade deals.
- Unfortunately, the road that runs along the Prime Minister’s residence is called Race Course Road, while the road leading to the Rashtrapati Bhavan is called Rajpath.
- I can proudly say that Seva Teerth, Kartavya Bhawans were built to fulfill the wishes of Indians and not the wishes of any monarch.
- These 100-year-old buildings were deteriorating and lacked space and facilities; they were not adequate to meet the needs of the new country.
- The capital of India was moved from Calcutta to the buildings on Raisina Hill, which were built according to the wishes of the British royal family.
- The South and North Blocks were built to keep India under the colonial yoke for centuries.
- We enter Seva Teerth and Kartavya Bhawan 1 and 2 with determination to achieve the goals of Viksit Bharat.
