State wants global architects for Maha Vista, to float fresh tender

Plans to completely remodel the Mantralaya precinct, in the offing for a long time, began to take shape in February last year, when deputy chief minister and finance minister Ajit Pawar announced the Maha Vista project in his budget speech

MUMBAI: The response to the state’s grand plan for a Maha Vista has not been ‘maha’ enough. The BJP-led Mahayuti alliance government will therefore float a fresh tender, inviting architects from all over the world to submit designs for a makeover of the Mantralaya precinct in South Mumbai. The idea is to redevelop the precinct on the lines of the Central Vista in New Delhi.

Mantralaya building. (Photo by Bhushan Koyande/HT Photo)

The nodal agency for the project is the state public works department (PWD). Chief engineer Ranjeet Rahane said, “The tender we floated earlier drew a response from just three Indian architects. The government wants more architects, and global ones. So we will be issuing another tender.’’

Plans to completely remodel the Mantralaya precinct, in the offing for a long time, began to take shape in February last year, when deputy chief minister and finance minister Ajit Pawar announced the Maha Vista project in his budget speech.

With the space crunch at the secretariat assuming alarming proportions, and given that the building itself is more than 60 years old, the government plans to redevelop the secretariat and annex; the iconic Vidhan Bhavan, or state legislature; and the row of British-era ministerial bungalows on Madam Cama Road opposite the secretariat.

The row of colonial-era ministerial bungalows opposite Mantralaya too will be razed, making way for residential towers to accommodate IAS officers and ministers. They will be equipped with modern amenities and adequate parking facilities. Since the precinct is defined by art deco norms, the rules are likely to be tweaked so that the towers align with the area’s architectural identity.

Since colonial times, the area where the ministerial bungalows stand and its periphery were marked for a garden. Over time, the Mahatma Gandhi Garden was developed near the LIC Building, while part of the space opposite was developed into Jawaharlal Nehru Garden. The rest was taken over to build the state BJP office, and other offices for political parties.