Work on the new integrated secretariat complex is progressing at a brisk pace amid doubts over whether the construction of the full fledged complex would be completed by the Dasara deadline set by the government.
One of the major components of the works — the central dome — is almost complete and ready for installation, according to senior officials. “The central dome has to be cast at the venue owing to the logistics issues involved in its transportation if it is fabricated elsewhere,” a senior official told The Hindu.
Fabrication of domes that will be placed on the four towers has already been completed and some of them have even been placed on the towers. Work on the erection of the central dome is likely to be taken up shortly. The construction agency is understood to have completed more than 70% of the works till date, including close to 80% of the internal works.
The construction of the new secretariat complex started in November 2020 after the government cleared the legal hurdles. The iconic building, taken up at an estimated cost of ₹616 crore, was designed with lower ground, ground and 11 floors with a built-up area of 64,989 sq.m (around seven lakh sq.ft). Incorporating plug-and-play facilities for all the departments, the new complex would be spread over an area of 600 feet x 300 feet building, occupying 9.7% of the 25.5-acre land. The proposed new Secretariat complex will see the full play of Internet of Things (IoT), going by the assertion of architects.
Once the internal works are through, external works including decoration of the complex with red sandstone, which arrived from mines in Rajasthan, will be taken up. Polishing of the stones has started, and fitting them to the complex to give it an aesthetic look would be taken up once works pertaining to the four towers and central dome are completed. This will be followed by works on greenery and landscaping as those could not be taken up due to the movement of heavy vehicles around the place.
“Even though we are not sparing any effort, it appears very difficult to complete the works by Dasara deadline. We are trying our best to meet the timeline set for the prestigious project,” an official associated with the project said.
