Patna: Inaugurating the new five-storey building of Patna Collectorate, sprawling over 10 acres, along the banks of Ganga river, CM Nitish Kumar on Tuesday told the district administration officials that his only expectation is that they resolve the problems of the common people fast in a better and transparent manner.
The CM was welcomed by building construction minister Jayant Raj and secretary Kumar Ravi with a green kalash and memento.
With all 39 district administration offices under one roof, Nitish said now, it is more convenient for people to go from one office to another. Inspired by Dutch-British architecture, the integrated complex comprises three blocks: district administration, subdivisional officers (SDOs)-cum-district development commissioner (DDC) and District Board Office-cum-multi-utility block.
The CM also held a review meeting in the main auditorium on the fifth floor of the main block, where Nitish honoured Patna DM and other officials with citations. In the meeting, a short film prepared by the building construction department on the new Collectorate was screened.
While visiting the building, he observing the eight Tuscan columns, which previously graced the facade of the demolished Dutch-period record room at the old Collectorate building. The CM appreciated how the old parts were preserved in a good manner.
Nitish also planted a sapling on the premises, saying visitors will be able to spend some time amid greenery near the main entrance. There are four gardens in the complex whose total green area is 3,484sqm.
The CM also appreciated Mahatma Gandhi’s saying — “Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s needs, but not every man’s greed” and quotes on “Seven Social Sins” — engraved on the ground floor wall of the Collectorate building. Nitish said that this will help Bapu’s words reach the new generation.
The CM then took stock of the seating arrangements on the fifth floor of the building. He inspected the new office room of district magistrate Chandrashekhar Singh, and even made him sit on his chair.
Addressing the meeting, he said, “We made a lot of efforts, and the building has been constructed exactly as we wanted. There is no Collectorate building like this anywhere in the country.”
Nitish added that solar panels here will be very beneficial in saving electricity.
Approval for the new building was given in 2018 after Nitish inspected the site in 2017, and the foundation stone was laid in 2020. The administrative approval for the construction of the building at a cost of Rs 186.42 crore was given by the General Administration Department.
The new building is equipped with a centralized air conditioner, has three conference rooms with projectors and advanced facilities like CCTV surveillance, a modern fire safety system, entry-exit control, a public address system and systematic evacuation facility in case of emergency. Apart from open parking with a capacity of 205 vehicles, basement parking with a capacity of 240 vehicles is available.
On the occasion, deputy chief minister Vijay Kumar Sinha, former general secretary of Bihar State Civil Council Arvind Singh, principal secretaries to the CM Deepak Kumar and S Siddharth, chief secretary Amrit Lal Meena, principal secretary of general administration department B Rajendra, secretary of food and consumer protection department N Sarwan Kumar, secretary of science technology and technical education department Pratima, secretary of agriculture department Sanjay Agarwal, secretary to the CM Anupam Kumar, managing director of Bihar State Road Development Corporation Shirshat Kapil Ashok, Patna divisional commissioner Mayank Warwade and other senior officials were present.