NAGPUR: The Nagpur Municipal Corporation is preparing to gift lakhs of rupees to architect of its new administrative building citing cost escalations caused due to its own mismanagement and delay in getting the building ready. The project cost of the building was Rs 17.99 crore when it was approved in January 2003. It has increased to Rs 56.34 crore due to cost escalation and also increase in scope of works.

Now NMC is considering a proposal to increase the service charges of the architect from Rs 53.98 lakh committed in 2003 to Rs 1.69 crore citing increased cost of the building. The proposal will come up for discussion in the meeting of standing committee slated for July 27. The NMC had proposed the new building behind the existing one in 2002. The then standing committee approved the cost of Rs 17.99 crore on January 10, 2003.

At that time, the committee appointed architect Virendra Khare at the service charge of 3% of total cost. On February 28, 2005, the committee approved increased cost of Rs 38.81 crore. The service charges of architect were also increased proportionately. The committee again approved a further increase in cost to Rs 56.34 crore on February 24, 2009. Now, the administration has proposed to increase the service charge of the architect to 3% of total increased cost.

Sources in the NMC told TOI that cost of the building increased due to increase in cost of material and increase in scope of works. "The cost would not have not gone up if the NMC had constructed the building in time as civic body itself sanctions all works. If the scope of work increased, that also also was the fault of officials concerned and architect who either did not define the requirement or couldn't provide correct solution. Now, it wants to saddle the tax payers and reward the architect for this joint inefficiency. Service charges should be increased only on the amount cost increase because of increased scope of works and not for escalation," said sources.

Two other pending proposals will come up for discussion in the meeting including purchase of firewood for crematoria. Besides, nine new proposals will be discussed in the meeting including installation of new traffic signals at 20 junctions and starting pay and park on three more roads- Variety square to Baidyanath square road, Baidyanath shop to Bharat Watch shop road, and Rahate Colony square to Lokmat square.

Besides, proposal to give work orders to various security agencies for deploying 43 armed security guards, 531 unarmed security guards, and 51 other guards. Another important proposal is to purchase various items related to malaria and filaria eradication at the cost of Rs 39.42 lakh.