The Vidhan Bhavan high power committee, headed by the legislative council speaker and senior legislators, recently held a meeting with the Public Works Department (PWD) officials related to the redevelopment of the Manora member of legislative assembly (MLA) hostel. In the meeting, it had asked PWD to begin the construction work of the new building so that the project will be ready in the next three years. A senior official from Vidhan Bhavan said, "Currently, we allocate one room to the legislators who are not from Mumbai in available quarters at Akashwani, but we are short of rooms and about 138 legislators have not been given any tenement. Therefore, it is necessary to carry out the construction work of the new MLA quarters at the earliest."
The state government has made a rent provision of Rs 50,000/flat for the MLAs. The official explained, when the Manora MLA hostel building existed, everyone used to get two flats easily. However, now such is not the case. Therefore, if an MLA is provided one flat, they are given a rent of Rs 50,000. If no room has been provided, they are given Rs 1 lakh as rent (the rent of two flats). On these, Rs 15,000 and Rs 30,000 as tax is deducted, respectively. The rent disbursement started from March, 2019, following the demolition of the hostel structure, explained the official.
The MLA hostel redevelopment was first proposed in 2018. Union government-led National Buildings Construction Corporation (NBCC) India Limited was appointed as the project management consultant (PMC) by the high power committee, assuming that PWD won't be able to carry out the work in the given deadline. Though the land is owned by PED. Moreover, it was believed that NBCC, being a central government agency, would be able to obtain the CRZ permission. However, nothing happened as such. NBCC could not initiate any work besides demolishing the structure. Therefore, in December, 2020, the project was officially handed over to the PWD by the state government.
The official furthermore stated, that with the permissible Floor Space Index (FSI) 1.33 and available permissions, plinth and first floor construction work should be initiated has been discussed. The new building work should begin was the agenda of the meeting. Though the proposed redevelopment plan is designed as per the FSI of 5.32 for which CRZ permission is mandatory. The plan but will be taken further as per the existing available FSI, under which two towers one of 25 storeyed and other of 45 storeyed will be build. Besides, clinic and shop, three dining rooms, an air-conditioned yoga hall, gymkhana, library, mini-theatre, a conference hall (5,300sq.ft) and two canteens (4,000sq.ft each) have also been proposed confirmed the official.
A budgetary provision from next year amounting to Rs 200 crore will be made for this redevelopment project, also he informed. The total project cost is pegged at Rs 600 crore approximately.
