5 Years Past, DC Office Complex in Padil still Needs Rs 32 Crore to Complete?
Mangaluru: Though work on the DC (Deputy Commissioner) office complex in Padil had begun in 2018, the building is yet to be completed. Officials now require an additional amount of Rs 32 crore to complete the work as the delay had led to an escalation of costs. The proposal for an additional amount, submitted to the state government, is pending approval, informed sources. In August 2023, Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda while inspecting the building under construction said that the government is committed to shifting over to the new DC office complex by 2024.
The complex is being planned on 5.8 acres of land with a plinth area of 2.26 lakh sqft. The delay in the completion of the building is being attributed to a case filed in the National Green Tribunal (NGT) by environmentalists. The nod of approval finally came from NGT on March 17, 2018. KHB Executive Engineer (EE) A Vijaykumar B said a revised estimate of Rs 32 crore, needed to complete the work, was submitted to the government through the Deputy Commissioner here recently.
As state budget 2023-23, had made references to the completion of the DC office complex, officials are hopeful of getting the project approved and completing work on the building at the earliest. Though work on the structure, roof, door, and railings was completed in 2019, officials had estimated that an amount of Rs 14.5 crore was needed for completion of the first phase of work. Later by including a few additional works, another revised estimate of Rs 29 crore was submitted.
After the BJP government came to power, Moodbidri MLA Umanath Kotian inspected the ongoing work in 2020 and later V Sunil Kumar as a district in-charge minister inspected the work in 2022. But work remained incomplete. According to sources, the painting of the building (both inside and outside), work on a septic tank, and sump tank, installation of two more lifts, auditorium, compound wall and major work on a drain were yet to be taken up.
It should be noted that the Administrative approval for the project was received in 2014 after former minister B Ramanath Rai had recommended the proposal for a new DC office complex. Karnataka Housing Board (KHB), entrusted with the project, had submitted a Rs 65 crore proposal for completing the complex in 2015. Later the estimated cost was reduced to Rs 41 crore and administrative approval was obtained in 2017.
Of the total amount, the revenue department had agreed to bear Rs 30 crore and the remaining amount was to be borne by the health and family welfare department (Rs 7 crore), labour department (Rs 3 crore) and minor irrigation department (Rs 1 crore). As Mangaluru falls in seismic zone-3, the design was changed to suit seismic zone guidelines. Thus the estimated cost of the project was again increased to Rs 55 crore, which was again approved by the government, sources said.
