PM may lay the foundation stone for the South Coast Railway headquarters on November 29

This green signals a project that has faced delays despite being promised in the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act of 2014.
The tender is for construction of the General Manager's office complex. It includes two basements, a ground floor, and nine upper floors (B2 + B1 + G + 9). Associated works have also been included in the bid.

A pre-bid conference is scheduled at 11:00 a.m. on December 2, 2024. Bids will be accepted from December 13, 2024. The deadline for submitting the bids is December 27, 2024.

The contract period for completion of the SCoR headquarters is 24 months.

AP Reorganisation Act of 2014 contained a provision to assess the feasibility of creating a new railway zone in Andhra Pradesh. The centre officially announced formation of the SCoR zone in February 2019, designating Visakhapatnam as its headquarters. A detailed project report (DPR) came in August 2019. Since then, there has been a prolonged delay till announcement of the tender by the railway minister.

SCoR zone officer on special duty (OSD) Chandra Sekhar said the land for the headquarters has been cleared of disputes and formally transferred to the railways. "A total of 52.22 acres in survey number 26 of Mudasarlova has been allocated for the project," the OSD said.

Speaking on condition of confidentiality, a senior railway official disclosed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi may lay the foundation stone for the SCoR headquarters during his visit to Visakhapatnam on November 29.

"We have been instructed to be prepared. A final decision could be taken on Monday or Tuesday," the official indicated.
The General Manager's office complex is projected to cost ₹149 crore. "There are no funding issues. Once the project starts, it will proceed without interruption and completed in a timely manner,” the official stated.