New collectorate building to be completed in two years

Lokmat News Network

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:

The district collector Vinay Gowda G.C, on Monday, claimed that the construction of the administrative complex and the new District Collector’s office building at the 13.5-acre site in Vishwasnagar–Labour Colony will be completed within two years. While speaking to the newsmen today he said that all necessary approvals have been obtained and a review of the work was conducted today (April 13).

He said that the tender for the project was finalised in December 2024. However, the work was delayed due to pending clearance from the environmental committee. In addition, residents of flats on the site had pending electricity bills amounting to approximately Rs 85 lakh. Under the amnesty scheme, Rs 60 lakh was paid by the public works department (PWD). Permission regarding trees in the area was also sought from the municipal corporation and has now been granted. The project has been transferred to the PWD’s World Bank division. The work, with a preliminary estimate of Rs 143 crore, has been awarded to Shubham EPC Pvt Ltd.

Why was the work delayed?

The government had approved Shubham EPC as the L-1 bidder, but retired engineer Ashok Yerekar issued a work order to another contractor instead. A proposal for action against Yerekar, accounts officer Pintu Kumar, and a tender clerk, along with a charge sheet, has been sent to the PWD secretary. The work order was later cancelled by superintending engineer S S Bhagat on the orders of then chief engineer Srinivas Katkade. The project was then transferred to the World Bank division, causing a delay of about one year.

Contractor: Shubham EPC Pvt Ltd, Pune

Cost: ₹143 crore

Executing agency: Public Works Department, World Bank Division

Timeline: 2 years

Current status: Basement column work in progress.