The problem: The lifts don't work. Most of the six lifts installed in the six-storey building have been lying unmoved ever since their installation. The only "working" lift also developed some snag and has not been working since the past several weeks.

Thanks to the non-working lifts, the visitors as well as officials posted here are left with no alternative but to climb the stair to reach their "official" destination.

Especially the elderly and physically challenged persons find it quite difficult to climb the stairs.

"We have to go to the ground floor several times during the office hours for various official works, which drains out body's energy," says a government employee who works on the fifth floor of the building.

According to construction experts, there should also be a provision for some ramp for the convenience of the physically challenged persons, but the mini-secretariat building is devoid of any such provision.

Inquiries made by this correspondent revealed that the mini-secretariat building was constructed by the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) and handed over to the PWD (B and R) for maintenance.

However, the PWD wing refused to take the responsibility of the lifts, stating that these were not in proper working condition. It was around 2004. Since then, the departments have been trying to evade their responsibility by passing the buck at all occasions whenever some corrective action is required.

Deputy Commissioner Deepti Umashankar told The Tribune that the PWD had sought a certain amount from the HUDA authorities to assume charge of the lifts; and the payment had been made recently.

"The lifts will be got repaired soon and it will be ensured that these continue to work smoothly and efficiently. We are in the process of constituting a committee for the purpose," she maintained.