Rs. 81.64 crore cleared by cabinet for Mantralaya makeover

The state cabinet, during a meeting on Wednesday, decided to allot Rs81.64 crore to architect Raja Aderi to remodel the three floors of the Mantralaya building that were ruined in the fire.

The state cabinet, during a meeting on Wednesday, decided to allot Rs81.64 crore to architect Raja Aderi to remodel the three floors of the Mantralaya building that were ruined in the fire.

The fourth, fifth and sixth floors of Mantralaya, which were gutted in the massive fire that engulfed the state headquarters on June 21, will be getting a makeover.

As a part of the firefighting plan, there will be a separate fire station set up exclusively for the Mantralaya building and latest fire detection technologies, including powder sprinklers and fire alarms, will be set up. Gas cylinders will not be allowed in the canteens and will be replaced by piped gas.

The architects have proposed to make separate entry and exit points and emergency exits for people to escape in case of a disaster. The plan shows that the existing 16 lifts will be maintained, but they will add escalators to the existing structure.

A committee has been formed under the chairmanship of chief secretary JK Banthia, to monitor the progress of the work.

A senior official working with the committee said that the ceilings, walls and flooring would be strengthened. “Uniformity will be maintained in constructing all the ministers’ cabins, waiting rooms and the staff cabins that go with it. As opposed to the existing system where there are cabins facing each other, they will be only on one side. This decongestion will create approximately one lakh square feet of extra space,” he said. The partitions between cabins will be modular, fire resistant ones and the use of wood will be minimal.

After the first phase of repairs on the top three floors is done - which could take about six months - the architects will take up work on the lower floor.