Work on construction of the new integrated secretariat complex is progressing at a brisk pace after a lull of close to three months due to second wave of COVID-19 pandemic.
Works pertaining to basement of the massive complex have been completed so far and works on ground floor, standing about 15ft above the base are nearing completion. The officials concerned are supervising works relating to laying of slabs for the first floor.
The integrated secretariat has been planned with lower ground, ground and 11 floors with built up area of 64,989 square metres (around seven lakh sq.ft) spread over close to three acre land. The total cost of the project, awarded to Shapoorji and Pallonji Group, was estimated at ₹ 616 crore after incorporating provisions for state-of-the-art facilities.
Work on the project commenced after the government completed all the formalities and handed over the possession of the land to the construction major in November last year. A deadline of one year was fixed for the completion of the project and the integrated complex completed in all respects should be handed over to the government in the third week of November, according to the agreement signed by the R&B department.
After some brisk activity initially, the project work however came to a grinding halt due to the incidence of second wave of the COVID-19 as several workers engaged in the work site were affected with the virus. “We have ensured that the 1,000+ workers and staff deployed on duties are vaccinated. Currently over 1,000 workers are working every day as against the less than 200 during the COVID-19 second wave,” a senior official told The Hindu .
Officials are however not sure whether the complex will be completed within the deadline stipulated and are expecting that completion of the integrated complex in all respects is likely to take more time. The machinery component involved in the construction is limited and a majority of works like brick work, shuttering and plastering would involve manual component.
A twenty-day cycle should be followed for taking up works on each floor henceforth. “It (completion of new complex) is likely to extend to next year,” the official said.
