By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: The fate of the Kolkata Meghalaya House at Russell Street is still hanging fire with the Planning department taking it’s time to study the report of the Independent Technical Committee (ITC) which had justified the escalation of the project from the initial Rs 24 crore to Rs 50 crore.
While admitting that the Government has not been able to inaugurate the project despite fixing several deadlines, GAD Minister AL Hek said that the main factor which contributed to this delay is because the project cost has escalated more than double of the original estimated cost.
“The matter now does not lie only with the GAD. It is for the Finance and Planning department to study if it is justified that that the project cost should go up by twice the original amount,” Hek said while speaking to reporters here on Tuesday.
When asked on the amount that the Government has so far paid to the Asian Housing Corporation Limited (AHCL), he said Rs 24 crore has already been paid to the company.
“The company will hand over the project to the Government only when they clear the payment for the remaining part of the project,” the GAD Minister said.
The independent committee is headed by the chief engineer of the water resources department as the chairman besides five other members.
The committee was formed after it was found that an additional amount of Rs 26 crore was poured in for the construction of the Meghalaya House in Russell Street, Kolkata.
It may be mentioned that the project has been delayed on several occasions which has further escalated the cost of the much awaited project which was initiated in October 2006.
Earlier, even PWD (Building) which is implementing the project was asked to justify the escalation.
The whopping escalation is due to extension of the project even as the design was changed several times with every change of guard in the General Administration Department.
The new building will have three blocks which include the residential section, VIP rooms and commercial establishments and it is expected that the Government will earn monthly revenue of Rs 25 lakh through the rent from the commercial block.