"The new building should be constructed but the government should build it. It should not come through BOT or private partnership...The work should not be given to private companies," he told reporters after a meeting with Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan and senior officials.
BOT is a type of arrangement in which the private sector builds an infrastructure project, operates it and eventually transfers ownership of the project to the government.
Asked if there was sabotage behind the fire, Pawar declined to comment, saying, "Now the priority is to ensure that the administration is back to normal."
To instill faith and confidence among public, functioning of the administration should be back to normal within 48 hours. "Some steps will have to be taken urgently," he said.
The building will have to be examined by the structural engineers, including foreign experts, Pawar said.
Five people were killed and a large number of files, including that of Urban Development department which is embroiled in the Adarsh housing scam involving several top politicians, bureaucrats and ex-army officials, destroyed in the blaze that took place on Wednesday.