It looks like construction of the proposed temporary Andhra Pradesh Secretariat at Velagapudi (16 km from Vijayawada) in the Amaravati capital region is likely to be completed much before the stipulated June 15 deadline. Sources from L&T indicate that the efforts are on to expedite the construction of the project to complete it before hand.
The Rs. 230-crore contract related to the Secretariat complex consisting of five buildings has been awarded to construction majors L&T and Shapoorji Pallonji. The former is building three. The prestigious project is expected to be completed by June 15, by which time most of the government staff are asked to shift from Hyderabad to the Amaravati capital region.
Five weeks after the commencement of work, the construction firms are leaving no stone unturned to meet the deadlines. Speaking to The Hindu at the construction site, L&T Head, Special Initiatives, AP, T. Krishna said, “Work is going on well. Everything is progressing on the expected lines.” The cautious official said the AP Capital Region Development Authority (CRDA) is the authorised agency to comment on the progress. However, another official from the company said there is an intense focus on completing the work much before the deadline. “Workers are engaged in three shifts to expedite the project and all compatible machinery was roped in to meet the objectives. With pre-fabricated structures that are under way, it’s very much possible to meet the new deadlines,” said the official.
The two firms have agreed to build the Secretariat at Rs. 3,350 per sft proposed by the government. The firms will also get a two per cent of the project cost as financial benefit from the government if they exceed the expectations of the deadline as per agreement.
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu took a look at the construction site from a helicopter on Friday and interacted with officials of both the construction firms and enquired about the progress of the project. He then proceeded to Vijayawada to announce the Japanese firm Maki and Associates as the successful bidder for designing people’s capital city of Amaravati.
Meanwhile, pressure is mounting from all directions for the full-fledged capital city and official machinery which is absent ever since the united AP was bifurcated into AP and Telangana States. Administration has come to a virtual standstill in some departments as many officials are stuck in the neighbouring State.
After a series of negotiations and cajoling, the government staff recently agreed to shift from the congenial erstwhile capital Hyderabad to Vijayawada city which is still graduating into a base capital of the fledgling State. To begin with, over 5,000 employees are expected to shift to the new capital.
