Ironically, the PWD itself had renovated the three cabins in January this year! A group of personal assistants, stenographers and typists with the department, numbering about 10, wrote to the Chief Secretary Arun Bongirwar this week to resolve the problem.

The PWD is also in the process of renovating the offices of 27 departments in the secretariat, at the cost of (if we could get the total cost of the 27 depts here). The idea is to shed Mantralaya's departments of their stereotypical image as well clear the cabins of some of their mountains of files to give officials space to breathe.

Originally, the roomshad a window each which had a ventilation system as well as let in fresh air, said employees. Now, wooden partitions and walls have popped up in such a way that they not only stonewall the air but also the ventilation system. ``The windows are as good as closed. In addition, they have created a false ceiling which blocks the small openings provided at the upper ends of the original partitions. There is only one entrance to these rooms, and they cannot be kept open as we handle important documents every day,'' an employee told Express Newsline.

The problem does not end here. Exactly below the rooms is the Mantralaya canteen, where the pots and pans start clanging from 8.30 am. ``By the time it is 12.30 pm, we start feeling the heat from below. The rooms do not have any fans. It's like being cooked in a pressure pan. How are we supposed to work without fresh air?'' an irate employee demanded to know.

After the employees verbally complained to the authorities, the rooms were fitted with an exhaust faneach. ``This hardly serves any purpose. The fan drives out the stale air, but there is no way for fresh air to come in. The exhaust fans have added noise to our workplace, nothing else,'' complained another official.

PWD secretary A B Pawar is on tour at the moment. Another senior PWD officer said the complaint was being looked into, and that arrangements for proper ventilation in the rooms would be made soon.