08 September,2009 07:02 AM IST | | Surender Sharma
|
Smart office, smarter work? A representative photograph of modular furniture for offices. Photo courtesy: Godrej |
Swanky, air-conditioned, designer offices with sleek, modular workstations; this is no MNC address but the new domain of the babus of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) at the Civic Centre in Old Delhi. And the budget for this makeover is a whopping Rs 58 crore. The Civic Centre PIC/RAJEEV TYAGI
An order worth the sum has been placed with Godrej Industries for supply of new furniture.
Confirming the report, MCD Commissioner KS Mehra said, "The furniture order for the Civic Centre has been awarded to Godrej." Thirty companies had bid for the contract.
In the next few months, the furniture for 5,000 employees of the municipal body will be ferried by Godrej from its Mumbai-based plant.
Sleek look
If MCD officials are to be believed, the new offices, being designed by a team of architectural consultants, will have a sleek look. Moving away from the traditional cubbyholes of government offices with wooden chairs and tables, the Centre will have open areas with modular workstations.
"It will resemble an MNC office. Full partitions and covered cabins will be avoided. Instead, open floors will have half partitions with sleek workstations for employees," said a Civic Centre project official, wishing anonymity, as he was not authorised to speak to the media.u00a0
Only the mayor, deputy mayor, MCD commissioner, chairman of the MCD Standing Committee and department heads will have separate cabins.
"The architectural consultants will provide the floor plan to Godrej. And the company will supply furniture as per the design," said the official.
However, the new furniture order is for only half of the 12-lakh-square-feet area of the building. "The furniture order has been placed for about 6.6 lakh square feet, the area that will be in our own possession. Only this section will be furnished by us. The rest will have to be done by those who lease out the offices," added the official.
Dec 2009 is when the MCD plans to shift from the Town Hall to the Civic Centre
Civic Centre
Spread over 12 acres, the Civic Centre, the new headquarters of the MCD, is the tallest high-rise in the Capital with a height of above 100 metres. Once complete, the complex will comprise four six-storey blocks, one 28-storey tower block and a services block.
Nearly 20 companies, including the Income Tax Department, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), LIC, SEBI, Delhi Tourism and some nationalised banks have shown keen interest to have their offices in the building.
The MCD is expected to get Rs 200 crore per year as rent from the property. The Civic Centre is being built with an estimated cost of Rs 550 crore.
