The Times of India             10.12.2013

New civic headquarters unlikely to be completed by January

NAVI MUMBAI: Inauguration of Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation's (NMMC) new headquarters in Belapur on January 1 seems highly unlikely as only 80% of the construction is complete.

According to civic body officials, many senior leaders from NCP, including local MP Sanjeev Naik, want the building to be inaugurated on the date when the corporation was actually formed. "NMMC came in to existence on January 1, 1992. Hence, many local politicians want the new building to be inaugurated on January 1, 2014. Nearly 80% of the building's construction is complete. But completing the remaining 20% to meet the January 1 deadline is an uphill task," said a civic official. Despite repeated attempts, Naik was unavailable for comment.

In 2008, the general body had passed a resolution sanctioning Rs 79 crore for the construction of the building. The civic body had started construction of the new building on March 2, 2009. Five years after the resolution, the cost incurred for construction of the new headquarters is over Rs 160 crore, double the estimate.

"The general body will soon have to pass the resolution to meet the additional cost incurred on the new headquarters," said a senior corporator.

The ground plus five domed structure is nearly complete and has been designed to depict both traditional and modern aspects.

The iconic structure, coming up on more then 20,000 sq mt plot in sector 15 A, Belapur, is also all set to hoist India's tallest flag post, with the height of the pole being 225 feet.

Meanwhile, to ensure the quality and speedy completion of the project, city engineer Mohan Dagaonkar and his colleagues frequently visit the building. The new structure has rain water harvesting facilities, sewage treatment plant inside the premises to recycle sewage water to be used for gardening and cleaning.