Govt. sets the ball rolling for new Collector's office

Minister tells Srikakulam district officials to finalise designs

June 11, 2017 11:57 pm | Updated 11:57 pm IST - SRIKAKULAM

Need for change:  The Collector’s office at Srikakulam which will soon make way for a new integrated complex.

Need for change: The Collector’s office at Srikakulam which will soon make way for a new integrated complex.

Finally, the State government has taken the initiative for construction of an integrated collector’s office here, which can house more than 50 offices under one roof.

Though officials express the hope that it will be ready within one year, sources told The Hindu that it would take at least two years for the completion of the integrated house.

The existing building, constructed 60 years ago, has been in a dilapidated condition for the last five years.

The situation turns worse during rainy season as water enters all the rooms damaging furniture and records. The Hudhud cyclone too has taken its toll on the structure.

A new Collectorate building is the need of the hour as many offices are continuing in rented premises, including the Stamps and Registration Office, leading to a huge rental burden on the government.

Cost escalation

Due to the inordinate delay in its construction, the estimated cost has gone up steeply. In 2010 the construction cost was put at ₹45 crore, but it has now gone up to ₹110 crore. Minister for Transport K. Atchannaidu directed the officials to finalise the designs and ensure usage of eco-friendly technology in its construction. “We are trying our level best to complete the project by next year itself. People will get hassle-free services in a single complex with the shifting of all the departments into the new premises,” he said.

‘TDP govt.’s failure’

However, former Minister Dharmana Prasada Rao, who initiated its construction during the Congress regime between 2009 and 14, alleged that the TDP government had failed to construct the integrated complex in the last three years. “The Chandrababu Naidu government has done nothing for Srikakulam district. It has failed to construct an auditorium and a multi-purpose hall too although funds were sanctioned by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD). The Outer Ring Road proposal was also shelved. We don’t expect completion of the Collector’s complex in the next couple of years,” he added.

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