Hyderabad: The year 2020 may not exactly be a happy one for the top brass of the state police.
Plans to have luxurious bathroom fittings and tiles, world class furniture, super swanky interiors — all of which have been regularly revised and upgraded (on paper) — and the increase in the floor area besides a few other factors have ended up further escalating the cost of the ambitious ‘twin tower’ project, which would house the Integrated Command and Control centre of the state police at Banjara Hills, to almost Rs 600 crore. Originally, the project was pegged at Rs 300 crore.
But that is not the only bad news. To make matters worse, the construction at the site has almost come to a standstill as the state government has not released payments to Shapoorji-Pallonji — who have been given the contract. While officials are tight-lipped over the extent of money due to the construction giant, it could run into several crore of rupees.
After having missed several deadlines, the police top brass were expecting that they would be handed over the building by December. But now, there is a big question mark over the project.
Sources in the know of developments told Deccan Chronicle that the roads and buildings department, which is overseeing the construction of the project, is busy making fresh estimates of the project after several changes were made to the design and interiors of the mega structure. Till about three months ago, the estimated cost of the project stood at around Rs 475 crore. But now, it has shot up and sources say it could be close to Rs 600 crore or even more.
“We are yet to give revised estimates to the government and it will take sometime before we arrive at the exact figure. But it could be close to Rs 600 crore,” sources told this newspaper adding that the police top brass has been revising and coming up with demands of high end bathroom fittings, tiles and furniture which is further escalating the cost.
They said that costly bathroom fittings, high end furniture besides other aspects of the interiors have been revised multiple times.
“Even the increase in floor area has now escalated the cost while there is additional parking space and other facilities which are the other factors (for the increase in cost). All these aspects are under scrutiny,” they said.
Till about five months ago, the construction was going on in full pace but over the last couple of months it has almost come to a standstill as the government has not released the payments. “It runs into crore,” was all that an official was willing to say when asked about the money due to the company. Asked by when the money would be released, the official was clueless.
Back in 2015, when the ambitious project was conceived, the cost was put at around Rs 300 crore. By the time the contract was awarded to Shapoorji Pallonji and Company, the cost had gone up to Rs 350 crore.
The iconic project with a built up area of 5.5 lakh square feet and spread across seven acres of prime land in Banjara Hills, had since missed at least five deadlines. Though it was expected that the project would be completed this year, the escalating cost and non-release of payments to the construction company is giving jitters to the powers-that-be.
