Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru (SS)
Mangaluru, Jul 24: The ongoing construction work on the Dakshina Kannada DC office complex has been in progress for five years now. A fresh proposal of Rs 32 crore has been tabled before the government to complete the construction work on the office complex and is awaiting cabinet clearance or budget approval.
The first phase of construction of the office complex that is coming up at Padil has been completed. As part of the second phase construction work, an estimate of Rs 29 crore was readied and submitted to the government two years ago. The revised estimate has gone up to Rs 32 crore as the proposal has not yet got the clearance for close to two years.
In 2014, the erstwhile Siddaramaiah government had given its approval for construction of the DC office complex on the recommendation of the then district in-charge minister Ramanath Rai. Construction work on the first phase has been completed to an extent but the BJP government did not evince interest to complete the construction work. The completion of the construction work is now back to facing challenges as the Siddaramaiah government is saddled with this responsibility again.
In 2014, when approval was given to construct the complex, there was litigation in Chennai green tribunal over cutting of trees and handing over of forest department land. The housing construction board began the work in March 2018.
Initially, the project was estimated to cost Rs 41 crore. Later, the same was raised to Rs 55 crore. The first phase of the project was supposed to get over on September 16, 2019. Out of the Rs 55 crore for the first phase, Rs 51 crore was released to the contractors.
A budget of Rs 14.5 crore was necessary to complete the project in one go. A number of works were added and the budget was raised to Rs 29 crore in the second phase but the approval is still awaited.
In the meantime, in 2020 MLA Umanath Kotian and district in-charge minister Sunil Kumar visited the complex in 2022 but the construction work did not progress.
The DC office complex is coming up on a 5.8 acre plot measuring 2.26 lac square feet that will house the revenue department office and 38 other department offices. On the ground floor, a 400-seat auditorium is coming up while on the second floor there is a mini hall, meeting hall, DC court hall besides MLA's and MP's offices with additional facilities that include canteen among others.
The basement will have space to accommodate parking of 50 cars and more than 100 two-wheelers and another 70 cars can be parked around the complex.
Only if Rs 32 crore is released for the second phase of construction will the complex see completion. Two lifts, AC facility for the auditorium and seating along with cable network, painting and rainwater harvesting, compound wall construction and interlock will be taken up during the second phase.