The State government is hopeful of commencing work on the construction of the new Secretariat complex before October-end.
The government has called for bids from interested firms for taking up work on the integrated complex after obtaining clearances from different agencies, including the Pollution Control Board, GHMC, and Airports Authority of India.
The State Expert Appraisal Committee, based out of the city, had also given its consent for the new complex paving the way for bids.
“We are hopeful that work will start by October-end may be Dasara,” a senior Roads and Buildings department official said.
Tenders have been invited and the pre-bid meeting of the project is scheduled to be held on September 26. The Technical Bids of the project would be opened on October 1 and Price Bids on October 5, but officials feel that there would be fewer firms submitting their bids owing to the magnitude of the project.
The expected cost of construction of the new complex is now pegged at ₹500 crore as against the Cabinet approval of ₹400 crore. The increase in the estimates was because of changes in design both within the main building as well as in the vicinity.
The main building of the new complex will have seven floors (G+6), but the central towers will have five additional floors each. This has necessitated the government to obtain clearance for G+11 complex from the authorities concerned and this change is also said to be the reason for the revised cost.
Senior officials engaged in the process said that there would be two central towers that will have sky lounges to provide a 360 degree view of the city.
“There will be one tower on the eastern side above the main entrance and another one of exactly the same size on the western side. These two towers are very much part of the main building,” a senior official told The Hindu .
Once completed, the height of the complex is expected to be 278 feet above ground level while it was also proposed to have two levels below the ground that could be utilised for other purposes. The government has set a deadline of 12 months for the completion of work from the date of entering into an agreement.
Keeping in view the schedule for handing over the site, the selected bidder should programme the works in such a way so as to achieve milestones as in “rate of progress”, the tender document said.
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