Delhi: CPWD invites bids for office buildings at cost of over Rs 3,000 crore

NEW DELHI: The Central Public Works Department (CPWD) has invited bids for three new office buildings under the Common Central Secretariat project along Rajpath at a cost of Rs 3,269 crore and another Rs 139 crore has been kept for five years’ maintenance. These buildings will have to be completed in 24 months from the date of start of work.

These three buildings will come on the plot where the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts is currently located in the second half of 2023. These buildings will accommodate the offices which are currently in Shastri Bhawan, Krishi Bhawan and Nirman Bhawan. Vacating Shastri Bhawan is a priority as the new convention-cum-conference hall on the lines of Vigyan Bhawan will be built there.

Going by the timeline, there is a probability that the entire Common Central Secretariat would be completed only in 2027, sources said, as the government will not demolish all the existing buildings in one go.

According to the bid document, the CPWD will hand over the construction site to the contractor within 22 days of the issuance of letter to start work. “The contractor may have to execute the work in three shifts with large manpower of workers, supervisors and professional engineers. Also, adequate numbers of highly skilled artisans are required to work on teak wood doors, stone masonry, carving and furniture,” the document said.

Responding to a question whether the CPWD has received a complaint alleging the bid parameters have been tweaked, a senior official said the complaint is “frivolous” and the conditions for bidding have been laid considering the project deadline.

The buildings will have white and red stones for cladding, teak wood, carving work, jalis, white and green marble, lakha red and black granite for flooring.

Since this is a mega project, the successful bidder in collaboration with CPWD will also have to arrange on-site skill training for at least 30% of unskilled workers.