Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister (CM) Dr Mohan Yadav on Thursday inaugurated the newly-constructed eight-storey headquarters of the Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) located in Tulsi Nagar area. Named ‘Atal Bhawan,’ the facility has been laid at a cost of Rs 43 crore and is set to centralise civic administration under one roof.

Building to serve as one-stop hub for civic services

According to officials, the newly-inaugurated building is aimed at streamlining delivery of public services by bringing all municipal corporation departments together. Notably, residents had to visit multiple offices scattered across the city earlier for different services. With the Atal Bhawan going operational now, departments such as civil works, public relations, electricity, water supply, sewage, revenue, housing schemes and birth-death registrations will function from a single location.

A dedicated public facilitation centre has also been established on the ground floor, which will enable citizens to access information and services from various departments in one place, including building permissions and other civic utilities.

Building equipped with geothermal technology

Officials said that Atal Bhawan stands out as the state’s first urban local body building, laced with geothermal technology. It has been designed on a green building concept, and the premises also feature solar panels installed over the parking area, capable of generating 300kW of electricity. 

Additionally, CM Dr Yadav also inaugurated a 10.5-mW solar power project set by the BMC in Neemuch district, taking a leap towards clean energy adoption. 

Floor-wise allocation of departments

The building has been outlined meticulously to ensure efficient functioning. Public interaction services, tax counters, marriage registration and a dedicated children’s play zone are located on the ground floor.

The first to fourth floors house key administrative wings, including the Mayor’s office, water works, sewage and revenue departments. Planning, IT, smart city initiatives, health and horticulture departments have been lodged from the fifth to seventh floors, while the eighth floor hosts the BMC Commissioner’s office, as well as the smart city headquarters.