Central Vista: Executive Enclave contract awarded to L&T

The Central Public Works Department (CPWD) has awarded the work for the construction of the Executive Enclave, a part of the Central Vista redevelopment project, to Larsen and Toubro Limited, officials said, adding the work will be completed in two years

The Central Public Works Department (CPWD) has awarded the work for the construction of the Executive Enclave, a part of the Central Vista redevelopment project, to Larsen and Toubro Limited, officials said, adding the work will be completed in two years.

L & T, Larsen and Toubro hoarding in Mumbai.

CPWD tweeted on Thursday, “CPWD awarded the contract for #construction of Executive Enclave, New Delhi to Larsen and Toubro Ltd., at 10.44% below the estimated cost put to tender, amounting to ₹1,189 crore on November 15, 2022. The construction firm is required to complete the work within 24 months.”

The Executive Enclave will include the Prime Minister’s Office, India House, Cabinet Secretariat and National Security Council Secretariat and will come up near the South Block. The PMO, Cabinet secretariat, and NSCS secretariat will be four-storeyed buildings (ground plus three floors and basement) while the India House (which will be a Hyderabad House-like facility for high-level meetings) will be a double-storeyed building (ground plus one floor and basement).

The Executive Enclave is the fourth project to be tendered by the CPWD as part of the ₹13,500 crore Central Vista redevelopment project. Bids for the project were first invited in November 2021 and the project cost was estimated around ₹1,171 crore. Ahluwalia Contracts India Limited emerged as the lowest bidder when the financial tender was opened in March this year.

But the CPWD re-invited the bids for the project after the scope of work was increased in June. DEC Infrastructure and Projects (India) Private Limited, a Hyderabad-based construction firm, emerged as the lowest bidder. The firm quoted ₹1,189 crore for the project while L&T quoted ₹1,424 crore.

A CPWD official said, “But L&T will execute the work at the cost quoted by the lowest bidder.”

The total built-up area will be approximately 87,915sqm, including the basement area measuring approximately 20,879sqm. “The existing structures on plot number 36/38 are to be demolished before the start of new construction,” an official said.

The CPWD recently invited pre-qualification bids for the construction of MP chambers as part of the Central Vista redevelopment project. The ₹1,435 crore project will be constructed after demolishing the Transport Bhawan and Shram Shakti Bhawan, according to CPWD officials.

The proposed building will have three blocks and a utility block. While two blocks will be 11-storeyed (ground plus 10 floors with three basements for parking), the third building will be a three-storeyed building (ground plus two floors with one basement for parking). The utility block will be on the ground floor.