MUMBAI: Those snaking lines of visitors to Mantralaya come rain or shine, are set to be consigned to history soon. The public works department is planning to construct a two-storey building, one level of which will have a plush lounge for those visiting the seat of power in the state.
On the first floor of this building which will have a glass facade, a spacious 900 sq metres of space will be devoted to seating arrangements for about 700 visitors at a time. They will be issued tokens in lieu of the current visitor’s pass to enter the premises.
The project will cost approximately Rs 45 crore and will begin once the underground four-level parking work is complete. Work on the parking spot is scheduled to begin in April.
A Mantralaya official said the lounge will provide relief to visitors as they can wait in air-conditioned comfort.
On any working day, it is common to see a long line of visitors outside the gates of Mantralaya and spilling on to the footpath and road.
Once the new arrangement is in place, these crowds will not be visible from the road. “On the first floor, besides the waiting area there will be conference rooms and some ministerial cabins so that visitors need not come to the main building,” said AA Sagane, secretary, PWD.
The second floor of the building will be the parcel drop-off centre. Packages will be scanned while documents will be sent electronically, to the concerned department. This will eliminate the need to maintain space for documents.
Visitors to Mantralaya include people from the corporate sector, politicians, farmers, foreign delegates and others. Therefore as a security measure, this plan has been made, said Sagane. The new building will be situated in the west corner of Mantralaya, near the Akashwani gate, so it will not obscure the view of the main building.
