The Mantralaya building, the Maharashtra government’s administrative headquarters in Mumbai, is slated to undergo a massive renovation that would encompass the 55,000 square meter annexe building, ministers’ mansions, staff quarters, and adjacent gardens.
An official from the project’s nodal agency, the Public Works Department (PWD), stated that the redevelopment project will gain from a Floor Space Index (FSI) of 5 and an extra 35% fungible FSI. The floor-to-plot ratio (FSI) measures how big a structure is in relation to the size of the land it is constructed on. The extra floor area built by a developer beyond the allowable FSI limit without breaking any laws is known as fungible FSI.
There was a pre-bid meeting on August 14. Technical inquiries mostly focused on the FSI that was available and the required authorizations. Nevertheless, few people showed up for the meeting; none of the main company officials was present. This was ascribed by a PWD official to the meeting’s timing, which took place soon after the tender was released.
When questioned about why the pre-bid meeting was rushed to happen right away rather than waiting the short while as is customary, the official stated that the PWD wanted to finish the process ahead of schedule because the state Assembly elections and the code of conduct implementation were coming up. The PWD maintained its positive outlook regarding the project’s design and comprehensive reports accepting bids. August 28 is the cutoff date for bids for the expression of interest.
The approximately 60-year-old Mantralaya building has been designated for redevelopment because of space limitations and its worsening state. The offices of ministers and officials have undergone cosmetic modifications over the years, but no major civil renovations have been carried out.
Source: The Indian Express
