Rs 10 crore official residence costliest for any chief minister
By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: Nearing completion, the Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma’s official bungalow at Polo has cost the state exchequer dearly with over Rs 10 crore approved for the project.
Known as Good Wood bungalow, the complex has the renovated old Assam type building (Good Wood 1) and the new annexed building (Good Wood 2). The existing Assam type structure was renovated with a cost of more than Rs 1 crore.
With more than 30 rooms, Good Wood bungalow 1 and 2, have become the costliest official residence of any Chief Minister in the State so far.
“Though the renovated building with many rooms was enough for the Chief Minister to stay, he wanted a state of the art building with facilities of conference hall, additional rooms, guest rooms and barracks,” an official said.
While the basement of the building, including garage (332 square metre) has 7 rooms, the ground floor (566.2 square metre) has 14 rooms including the lobby and the corridors. The first floor (361.40 square metre) has 12 rooms.
A General Administration Department (GAD) official said that since the Chief Minister is currently staying at his own house, there was a need to have a separate official bungalow for him.
The original estimate of the bungalow was Rs 2.73 crore (Rs 2,73,40,700), but with the addition of new works, the cost was revised over Rs 10 crore ( Rs 10, 09,70,000).
Administrative approval was granted for the entire amount out of which Rs 3.24 crore was already released. The GAD is planning to release the remaining amount in installments considering the huge expenditure.
Besides the construction of the new building and renovation of the old Assam type house, the additional works undertaken included, making a new entrance and construction of the road to the bungalow. The cost of over Rs 10 crore is inclusive of these.
The works included electrification, internal and external water supply and sanitary installations including boring well for stand by water supply. Moreover landscaping and arboriculture were also carried out. Tennis and badminton courts are also part of the building.
The Meghalaya Urban Development Authority charged Rs 5,50,000 as fee for its various clearances.
GAD has defended the construction of the ‘mansion’ by saying the Chief Minister needs a befitting house to stay.
One Motibor Kharkrang was engaged as the contractor for the construction of the building.
Earlier, Taraghar was the official bungalow of the Chief Ministers of the State. The last Chief Minister to stay there was JD Rymbai. “We did not get the Bungalow (Taraghar) as it was not available to us for almost three years due to the earlier plan of the Government to construct the Assembly building”, an official with the GAD said.