Govt plans Rs 110 cr face-lift for fire-ravaged Mantralaya

Mumbai: Ten weeks after a major fire gutted the Maharashtra state headquarters, the government plans to fully repair and renovate the iconic building here, including making it centrally air-conditioned, an official said Thursday. The project to give a face-lift to the Mantralaya is expected to cost Rs 110 cr and will be completed in phases in the next eight months, the official said. The government decided to go for renovation after a fire on 21 June damaged large parts of the main building, and killed five people besides injuring many others. [caption id=“attachment_436650” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  The government will award the renovation work, for which competitive bids have been invited, to a public limited company. PTI[/caption] Renovation plans include making the entire building complex centrally air-conditioned, besides installing a modern fire-fighting system with water sprinklers. The government will award the renovation work, for which competitive bids have been invited, to a public limited company. In the first phase lasting four months, the fourth, fifth and sixth floors will be renovated followed by the ground, first, second and third floors in the next four months. Following suspected major internal damage suffered during the fire, the renovation work included strengthening the structure, RCC and piling works, new tiling, plumbing, electricity and sanitary works and a full-fledged building management system. Earlier, Public Works Minister Chhagan Bhujbal had said the Mantralaya would become functional within three months after the fire. Work of several departments and ministers, previously operating from Mantralaya, is being carried from different locations in Mumbai. With this proposed renovation work, the proposal to redevelop Mantralaya has gone into cold storage. IANS