Central Vista: Ahluwalia Contracts lowest bidder to build Executive Enclave

The company, headquartered in Delhi, quoted an amount of around Rs 1,119 crore, 3.5% less than the Rs 1,160-crore cost estimated by the CPWD

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Ahluwalia Contracts India Limited on Tuesday emerged as the lowest bidder for the construction of Executive Enclave as part of the Central Vista project that will house the prime minister's office (PMO), cabinet secretariat, India House and the National Security Council Secretariat, official document showed.

The company, headquartered in Delhi, quoted an amount of around Rs 1,119 crore, 3.50 per cent less than the Rs 1,160-crore cost estimated by the CPWD, which has been executing the Modi government's ambitious Central Vista Redevelopment project.

Tata Projects Limited, which is constructing a new Parliament building, quoted Rs 1,154 crore. NCC Limited quoted a bid amount of around Rs 1,158 crore and Larsen & Toubro Limited around Rs 1,317 crore, the document showed.

An official said the lowest bidder is usually awarded the contract and added the Board of Central Public Works Department (CPWD) will decide on awarding the tender in the next few days.

The CPWD had estimated the cost of construction and maintenance of the Executive Enclave at Rs 1,160.17 crore.

The Executive Enclave will come up on the south side of the South Block in plot number 36/38 in the high-security Lutyens' Delhi.

The bid document states the new PMO will have three floors each 4.75 metres high, in addition to the basement and ground floor. The new cabinet secretariat and the National Security Council Secretariat will have a similar structure.

India House, which will have one floor in addition to basement and ground floor, is likely to be used as a conference facility like the Hyderabad House where high-level talks, especially with top visiting leaders of various countries, are held now.

According to the CPWD's bid document, the project will be completed within 24 months of initiation of the construction work.

"The (Executive) Enclave will be designed to improve potency and functioning through carefully planned formation of different departments with supporting facilities. This will ensure prime security and excellent interconnectivity within the Enclave and with other offices in Central Vista.

"Relocating these departments will also ensure efficient security protocols for VIPs and VVIPs without disturbing daily movement of the public in and around the Central Vista," the CPWD document states.

In October last year, Larsen & Toubro Limited had been awarded the contract for the construction and maintenance of the first three buildings of the Common Central Secretariat.

Shapoorji Pallonji and Company Limited is executing the redevelopment work of the Central Vista Avenue stretching from Vijay Chowk to the India Gate.

The redevelopment of the Central Vista, the nation' power corridor, envisages a new parliament building, a common central secretariat, revamping of the 3-km Rajpath from the Rashtrapati Bhavan to the India Gate, new office and residence of the prime minister, and a new vice-president enclave.