The construction of the new office building of the Kochi Corporation will be completed within a year, according to Mayor M. Anilkumar.
The Mayor, accompanied by civic representatives and officials, inspected the building on Thursday.
It was in 2006 that the construction of the building began. However, work was stalled two years later owing to discrepancies in the estimate. Work resumed in 2015 after revision of the initial estimate to ₹18.7 crore from ₹12.7 crore. However, it did not progress as expected, said a communication from the Mayor.
Meanwhile, litigations broke out between the corporation and the contractor, which further delayed work. Cases are pending in the Kerala High Court, the communication added.
While agreeing to wait for a High Court ruling on the ₹8 crore claim put forward by the contractor, the corporation and the contractor arrived at a consensus to resume work.
The civic body has agreed to pay ₹1.82 crore to the contractor who has offered to resume work, the communication said.
A time table for the remaining work has been drawn up, and funds will be made available for the purpose. The new office building will have modern facilities and will be a disabled-friendly building.
