Naidu inaugurates gym at Urban Development Ministry office

The Urban Development Ministry employees can now sweat it out at the newly set up gymnasium in its office in 'Nirman Bhawan' here.
Inaugurating the first-of-its-kind gym at the Ministry office today, Union Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said the facility will be open from 17.30 hrs to 20.30 hrs for the 500-odd employees, a move aimed at improving work productivity through attaining better health.
Set up at a cost of Rs 5 lakhs, the gymnasium is equipped with two treadmills, a recumbent bike, two cross trainers, a multi-gym, a flat bench, an inclined bench, dump bell sets etc.

"Physical fitness is the key to health and mental fitness which have a bearing on productivity. Such facilities at work places would go a long way in keeping employees fit in the fast-paced and sedentary lives," he said.
Although gyms at workplace is popular among the corporate sector in the country, it is for the first time that such a full-fledged workout facility has come up at the premises of a Ministry.
A Ministry official said more machinery would be added in due course.
An elated official said it was a "great gift" to the employees.
"I do not get time to exercise in the morning. If I leave around 6 PM after work, I get stuck in traffic. Now I have the option to exercise and leave little later when there is less traffic and reach home around the same time," he said.