SHILLONG: The state PWD is awaiting the approval of the Law Department to start the new Assembly building project.
An official said on Tuesday that the opinion of the department is necessary before calling the tender.
“Once we get the approval from the Law Department, we will call for the tender and the entire matter is now pending with the department,” an official said.
The High Powered Committee (HPC) that met earlier this year had decided to re-tender the new Assembly building project at Mawdiangdiang with two new added conditions.
Under the new conditions, the bidder who would apply for the tender must have the experience of completing similar projects like the Raj Bhavan, Chief Minister’s residence or other government institutes.
In addition, the Committee has also decided to raise the security deposit three times higher for the bidders.
Meghalaya is awaiting the new Assembly building since the last 17 years after the 125-year-old Burmese teak Meghalaya Legislative Assembly building at Khyndailad was reduced to ashes in a devastating fire.
The HPC under the previous government was forced to scrap the tender for construction of the new Assembly building as one of the bidders quoted a rate too low which is 15 per cent lower than the bid value.
Earlier, the PWD had examined the price bid after three firms — Simplex Infrastructure Pvt Ltd, Gautam Constructions Pvt Ltd and Shapoorji Pallonji Co & Ltd — qualified in the technical bidding. The bid value was Rs 105 crore and Gautam Constructions quoted 15.01 per cent less than the bid value whereas Shapoorji Pallonji Co & Ltd quoted 29.92 per cent more than bid value and even Simplex Infrastructure quoted 21.90 per cent more of the bid value.
The Assembly Secretariat is optimistic that the building will be completed within this tenure and in three years’ time, the session will take place in the new Assembly building.
