Mantralaya building safe for use, says PWD minister

Mumbai: The portion of Mantralaya’s top four floors damaged due to last week’s fire are repairable barring some portions of the chief minister’s office which needed reconstruction, PWD minister Chhagan Bhujbal said here today.

Talking to reporters, Bhujbal said the fire-ravaged portion can be strengthened by chemical treatment of the columns and beams.

“Some portion of the chief minister’s chambers on the sixth floor need reconstruction because of structural damage to one beam,” he added. “Debris clearing on the top four floors will be completed in one or two days,” he said adding that structural engineers have conveyed orally that there is no danger to the building.

Bhujbal said that engineers have asked the authorities to remove all unwanted papers and furniture so that there is no pile up of waste. “Safety will be the prime concern during repairs,” he added.

Meanwhile, Relief and Rehabilitation Secretary Pravin Pardeshi said that, henceforth Mantralaya office timings will be from 9 am to 4.30 pm to expedite debris clearing and structural audit.

“This arrangement will continue for atleast a week. Decision on declaring holiday on Saturday will be taken tomorrow,” he added.

In a related development, IIT Bombay experts Ravi Sinha and Alok Goyal, who were asked by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to conduct a structural audit have recommended fire proof cabins in the Mantralaya.

They also told the government that the entire building is structurally safe and could be occupied after repairs.

PTI