By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: Fearing the imposition of the ‘Code of Conduct’ in the State in view of the upcoming Assembly elections next year, the General Administration Department (GAD) is contemplating taking over possession of the new Meghalaya House at Kolkata before the announcement of the election date, GAD Minister AL Hek recently informed.
According to Hek, the election Code of Conduct is applicable to any Government project even if it is located outside the State.
The State Cabinet had, earlier, decided to take possession of the Meghalaya House from the builder, following interminable delays which led to escalation of the cost from the initial estimated budget of Rs 22 crore to Rs 49.2 crore.
The State Government has already paid Rs 25 crore to the company while the remaining amount is expected to be cleared soon.
Following the cost escalation, the State Government was compelled to constitute an independent technical committee to screen the revised estimated budget of the Meghalaya House project. The committee, however, justified the cost escalation.
Reacting to a query about the present financial status of the project, Hek informed that the project file has been moved to the Finance and Planning departments for sanction of the pending amount.
The project is ninety per cent complete while the remaining work is expected be over within a month or two, Hek said, adding that the State Government will get revenue of Rs 25-30 lakh per month as rent from the commercial block in the Meghalaya House.