Welfare centre for gazetted officers gets additional ₹20 crore

Mumbai govt allocates extra ₹20 crore for state gazetted officers’ welfare centre in Bandra East, bringing total budget to ₹88.17 crore.

Mumbai: The state government has allocated an additional ₹20 crore for the state gazetted officers’ association’s welfare centre, taking the total budget for the project to ₹88.17 crore. The centre, comprising an eight-storey building including a guest house, is slated to come up in Bandra East.

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The decision is expected to keep gazetted officers, who had been demanding a welfare centre-cum-rest house in Mumbai since a long time, in good humour. Earlier on March 1, the government had amended the new pension scheme, entitling employees to pension amounting to 50% of their last drawn salary.

The government resolution issued on Saturday said the additional allocation was required as many officers come to Mumbai and need shelter. The government has leased out a plot measuring 1,381 square metre in Bandra East for the welfare centre at a nominal rate. Basic construction is expected to cost ₹48 crore, electrical works another ₹11 crore. The floor space index purchased under transfer of development rights cost ₹7 crore.

GD Kulthe, chief advisor of the Mantralaya Gazetted Officers’ Association said, “We informed chief minister Eknath Shinde that we needed an additional ₹20 crore on February 5. We also called him to the Bandra site and showed him around.”

The welfare centre will include a guesthouse for outstation officers, an auditorium and a hall, which will be used to train government officers on how to make ends meet and use the RTI Act, he said.