Modi to chair last Cabinet meeting in South Block before PMO shift

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will chair a special meeting of the Union Cabinet at South Block on Friday, the last such gathering at the British-era secretariat building before the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) shifts to its new complex, 'Seva Teerth'. Official sources confirmed this will be the Cabinet's final meeting in the PMO located in the imperial complex designed by British architect Herbert Baker in the early 1900s to meet the requirements of the British Raj. The cabinet meeting, scheduled for 4 pm on Friday, will be followed by the PMO's relocation to 'Seva Teerth'. The move will mark the end of an era, as all government departments vacate the North and South blocks -- the seat of power since 1921.

The government plans to convert the iconic buildings into the 'Yuge Yugeen Bharat National Museum', a world-class museum tracing India's civilisational journey. The relocation is part of the government's broader initiative to decolonise India's administrative architecture and governance. The North and South blocks have been the seat of power in the country since 1921. Earlier, the Home Ministry had moved out of the North Block complex at Raisina Hills in Lutyens' Delhi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to inaugurate Seva Teerth -- the new PMO building -- along with Kartavya Bhawan 1 and 2, on February 13, his office said on Wednesday. The Friday inauguration marks a transformative milestone in India's administrative governance architecture and reflects the Prime Minister's commitment to building a modern, efficient, accessible and citizen-centric governance ecosystem, a statement from the Prime Minister's Office said.