- Delhi government to invite global bids for twin-tower secretariat at ITO in August
- Project cost estimated at Rs 2,000 crore to consolidate multiple departments
- Twin towers to include green building, parking, landscaped areas, and smart offices
New Delhi: The Delhi government is preparing to invite global bids for the construction of its ambitious twin-tower secretariat complex at ITO, with the Public Works Department expected to float the tender in August, officials said.
Estimated to cost around Rs 2,000 crore, the high-rise complex is planned as the government's new administrative headquarters. It will consolidate departments currently functioning from Civil Lines, Kashmere Gate, Vikas Bhawan and the existing Delhi Secretariat at Players' Building near ITO.
The government believes that shifting multiple departments to a single integrated complex will improve coordination between officials, reduce travel time and provide modern office infrastructure to employees.
Delhi Public Works Department Minister Parvesh Verma said a global tender was necessary because of the project's scale and technical complexity.
"The purpose of the global tender is to invite the world's leading companies with expertise in designing, constructing and developing such large and complex projects," Verma said.
The tender will allow international engineering, procurement and construction companies, architectural consultants and consortiums to participate in the bidding process. Firms with experience in constructing high-rise government buildings and integrated administrative headquarters are expected to be eligible.
Also read: Delhi Government Eyes Four Potential Sites For New Secretariat Building
What The Twin-Tower Secretariat Will Look Like
One of the two towers will be developed by integrating the existing 12-storey PWD headquarters with a new green building. The second tower will be constructed at the site of Vikas Bhawan, which is proposed to be demolished.
The two towers are likely to be connected by a link on the third or fourth floor, allowing officials and employees to move easily between departments.
Parking, Green Areas And Smart Offices
According to officials, the tender is expected to specify a built-up area of about 53,603 square metres. The project could include nearly 30,000 square metres of parking space and around 15,000 square metres of landscaped and green areas.
The complex is also expected to feature intelligent building management systems, modern offices, energy-efficient infrastructure and advanced safety arrangements.
The successful bidder is likely to be responsible for detailed architectural, structural and engineering design. The company will also have to ensure that the buildings meet seismic safety requirements, fire safety regulations and green building standards.
Global Experience To Be A Key Eligibility Requirement
Companies bidding for the Delhi secretariat project will be required to demonstrate experience in executing projects of a similar scale and value, officials said.
They will also have to meet financial capability, technical expertise and quality benchmarks laid down in the tender.
Delhi has previously used the global tender route for a major civic construction project. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi invited bids in 2005 for the Dr Syama Prasad Mukherjee Civic Centre, which was later built by a Malaysian company.
The 28-storey civic centre is among Delhi's tallest government buildings and currently houses the headquarters of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi.
Officials expect a similar global bidding process to help the government attract companies with specialised expertise in high-rise construction, sustainable design and large administrative complexes.
Traffic Management At Busy ITO Junction
The location of the proposed secretariat at ITO is expected to pose a major construction challenge.
ITO is one of Delhi's busiest road junctions and experiences heavy traffic throughout the day. Bidders are therefore likely to be asked to submit detailed traffic management, construction phasing and public safety plans.
The aim will be to minimise disruption to commuters and nearby government offices during construction.
The contract is also expected to include strict project completion timelines, quality-assurance provisions, defect-liability clauses and mechanisms to monitor construction standards.
Once completed, the twin-tower secretariat will become the central workplace for several Delhi government departments that are currently spread across the city.
Apart from reducing administrative fragmentation, the government expects the project to create a modern and more efficient headquarters at one of the capital's most prominent government districts.
