PWD wants extension for construction of admin bldg

Pune: The new Mamledar Kacheri office building at Shukrawar Peth is expected to be completed by March next year, if all the permissions come through, said PWD officials. The construction of a new administrative building in the heart of the city was cleared by the state government in 2005. The department last month sought an extension from the state High Power Committee (HPC) till next year as 90% of the construction has been completed to shift the current office space. The building is being constructed on a BOT basis (Built Operate and Transfer). Currently, the slab work and internal and external plastering have been completed, officials said.The new five-storeyed building will accommodate the present eight offices at the Mamledar Kacheri office, including revenue offices, sub-registrar offices, the Khadak police station, and the traffic branch. Officials added that some part of the land was facing litigation, so the construction was delayed. “If the permissions come through and the court matter is sorted out, it will help ease the functioning of the present cramped space at the Shukrawar Peth offic,” Public Works Department (PWD) officials told TOI. The office is currently spread over an area of 5,100 sq metre while the new building will be spread across 20,000 sq metre. The new spacious building will not just be able to accommodate present eight offices but will also have space for eight more offices. Citizens have been facing a harrowing time at the present office, which is the key office for the city survey as well as tehsil offices. Recently, the state government had taken up the review of the project.In the state government’s 2005 approval, the five-storeyed structure did not include two basement parking areas. Officials said the changes in plan and later the litigation of the 7-meter land in the area delayed the work as the court issued a stay order. Senior revenue officials said the current space houses the revenue department offices for both city and Haveli and there is a daily rush. With no space, many citizens are crammed in long queues. “We have been waiting for a long time to shift out from this office as it is a very old building and there is hardly any space to store documents. We are hoping that the building will be completed by PWD,” officials from Pune district administration told TOI. Citizens complain of lack of space and confusion. “We have been hearing about the shifting of this building as it is too close to Swargate Chowk and there is no space for parking,” said Minal Rao, who had been to the Haveli office.