After spending Rs 106-cr, new MMRDA building still incomplete

After missing two deadlines since 2004 and incurring an expenditure of Rs 106 crore, the new building set to house the office of the Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (MMRDA) at the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) here, still remains incomplete, a RTI query has revealed.
Activist Anil Galgali, who sought information through the RTI, said that the proposed new office is situated behind the current premises of MMRDA at BKC.
Galgali said he sought information from MMRDA authorities in regards to the construction of the new building going on behind their office to which Executive Engineer as well as public information officer of MMRDA, M Y Patil, informed that the proposal for construction of the new building was given to them on December 24, 2004.

The basic cost approved was that of Rs 87 crore and it was to be completed by December 31, 2012. But in spite of giving two extensions, first till September 15, 2013 and the latest one being, December 31, 2014, the work still remains incomplete, he was told.
The MMRDA authority, however, denied information to Galgali in regards to the reasons of the delay and the penalty levied on the contractors.
The project is been done by M/s Relcon Infraprojects Limited; the interior decoration contract has been awarded to Godrej Company Limited and the electrification and air-conditioning contract has been given to M/s Pravin Electrical Limited.

The proposed new building is of 11 floors.

"It is a complete waste of both money and resources. Even after so many years, work remains incomplete. Next to this proposed office, there is another building, Tantri, that also belongs to the MMRDA and is equipped with the latest technology and know-how. So the need of a new office is not understood," said Galgali.
Galgali urged Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who is also chairman of MMRDA to intervene in the matter.
MMRDA, set up in 1975, is engaged in infrastructure development in MMR region which includes Mumbai, Thane, Navi Mumbai areas and parts of Raigad district.