MEA gets environment friendly building as its new headquarters

New Delhi, July 27 (ANI): The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) got a brand new environment friendly building as its new headquarters here on Tuesday.

External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna attended the inauguration ceremony along with Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao, Ministers of State for External Affairs Preneet Kaur, E. Ahamed and Foreign Secretary-designate Ranjan Mathai.

Expressing her delight, Nirupama Rao said: "This event represents a realization of a long cherished dream by all of us in the Ministry of External Affairs to have a modern state of the art foreign office. The Bhawan contains all the essential features of a modern office."

"It has three distinct office zones for ministers and senior officers, officers of various divisions and public dealing areas as well as special features such as a multi- purpose hall, daily press briefing room, a banquet hall in which we all are seated today an executive dining room, modern and elegant meeting rooms, video conferencing facilities and a library," she added.

The headquarters of the ministry, with a built up area of 60, 000 square metres. The building is completely digitised and has facilities that would enable 10GB data transfer.

The centrally air-conditioned building provides has made arrangements for the specially abled and the elders.

In an endeavour to make the building environment friendly, three quarters of the building's area was covered plants and trees.

Other facilities that are provided in the building include the usage of "bio-reactor technology" for better water management and two level parking, which can accommodate 320 vehicles.

The new headquarters prove to be a boon, as all the offices of the ministry would be housed under a single roof.

Former Prime Minister, P.V. Narasimha Rao, had allotted 7.78 acres of land for the construction of the new headquarters of the ministry.

The new office of the ministry is located close to the National Museum. (ANI)