Executive Enclave: CPWD to hire security agency to protect articles of MoD at 'vacated hutments'

To ensure that articles belonging to the defence ministry are not ''misplaced'' from hutments around Dalhousie Road, the CPWD will hire a private agency to provide round-the-clock security ''without gun'' at these structures that had been vacated by the ministry officials last year to pave the way for construction of an Executive Enclave housing a new PMO, officials said Tuesday.

The Central Public Works Department, which comes under the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry, recently floated a tender again to construct the Executive Enclave that will come up in place of around 700 hutments belonging to the defence ministry.

Last year, defence ministry offices operating from these hutments were shifted to new complexes at Kasturba Gandhi Marg and Africa Avenue inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

''Although these offices (operating from hutments) shifted to new complexes, there are still some articles that belong to MoD offices.

''We have decided to hire a private agency to provide round-the-clock security at these hutments until a construction firm is awarded a contract for the new Executive Enclave,'' an official told PTI.

The official said that the estimated cost to hire the agency is around Rs 23 lakh.

The estimated project cost of the Executive Enclave which will house a new prime minister's office (PMO) has gone up by over Rs 100 crore to Rs 1,316 crore as the CPWD floated a fresh tender last week cancelling its earlier one, according to CPWD's bid documents.

A CPWD office had said the increased scope of work under the project, including additional information and communication technologies (ICT) components, has led to a marginal rise in the estimated cost.

Apart from the PMO, the executive enclave will house the Cabinet Secretariat, India House and National Security Council Secretariat.

'India House' will be used as a conference facility like the Hyderabad House where high-level talks, especially with top visiting leaders of various countries, are currently held.

According to the new bid document issued earlier this week, the project's estimated cost for construction and five-year maintenance contract is Rs 1,316 crore.

Potential bidders can submit pre-qualification documents by June 8 and the contractor will have to complete the work within 24 months, it states.

The redevelopment of the Central Vista, the nation' power corridor, envisages a new parliament building, a common central secretariat, revamping of the 3-km Rajpath from the Rashtrapati Bhavan to the India Gate, new office and residence of the prime minister, and a new vice-president enclave.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)