IAS housing complex in TVM: Govt sanctions ₹50 cr, Uralungal submits proposal for ₹126 cr, project to be done in 2 phases
With the project cost going up by over 150%, the government has issued revised administrative sanction in such a way that the project will be done in two phases.
With the project cost going up by over 150%, the government has issued revised administrative sanction in such a way that the project will be done in two phases.
With the project cost going up by over 150%, the government has issued revised administrative sanction in such a way that the project will be done in two phases.
The Uralungal Labour Contract Co-operative Society (ULCCS), chosen for the construction of IAS housing complex in Akkulam, Thiruvananthapuram, has submitted a proposal of ₹126 crore for the work, while the government has issued administrative sanction for an estimated cost of ₹50.71 crore. With the project cost going up by over 150%, the government has issued revised administrative sanction in such a way that the project will be done in two phases.
In an order issued by K Biju, Secretary, PWD, the government has revised the sanction on the condition that the construction shall initially be limited to the extent of the initial administrative sanction amount as Phase-I and the remaining portion shall be taken up as Phase-II after assessing the requirement and subject to the availability of funds and further sanction.
In 2021, the sanction was given for an estimated amount of ₹50.71 crore for the housing complex. In 2024, the government entrusted the Public Works Department (PWD) with the work. The Managing Committee constituted for the project decided that the work shall be undertaken through the agency ULCCS.
The Chief Engineer, PWD (Buildings) submitted a proposal along with the Detailed Project Report (DPR) of the work submitted by the ULCCS amounting to ₹126 crores (including GST, centage and GST for centage).
K Biju told Onmanorama that the increased cost was not approved by the government. When asked if the project requirements will be met in a single phase, he said that if needed, phase 2 will be initiated. "The first phase will be done at an initial approved cost as per Delhi schedule of rates which is ₹50.71 crore. We are doing it legally. If there are additional requirements, phase 2 will be undertaken subject to availability of funds. We didn't approve the revised cost of ₹126 crore," he said.
The order, however, doesn't mention that the revised estimate of ₹126 crore has been rejected by the PWD; instead, it says that the first phase will be confined to the amount approved as per the initial administrative sanction, and later requirements will be assessed, and phase 2 will be taken up. Biju didn't explain if all the requirements envisaged as per initial estimate have already been finalised and why requirements need to be assessed again.
The government had initially approved the cost at ₹15.57 crore which was then changed to ₹50.71 crore. The government had constituted a committee of secretaries chaired by the then ACS, Revenue, A Jayathilak, to oversee the construction. The Committee also included a special officer for the residential complex, Secretary, PWD, Secretary, General Administration Department, Secretary(Finance), Chief Engineer(PWD), Buildings, Chief Town planner and two IAS officials.
An area of 2.3 acres has been allotted for the project in two separate plots.
Though the mode of construction, nature of amenities and dimensions of housing units are not officially released for the project, the cost estimated for the IAS housing complex is way higher than the government's prestigious housing scheme; LIFE mission.
In 2021, the government gave sanction for the construction of LIFE towers (7 rural projects comprising 304 housing units) for an amount of ₹48.87 crore. The total plinth area of the seven towers is 17,613 sq m. The average plinth area cost of the project was then estimated at ₹27,747 sq m. In 2019, the government gave sanction to purchase 217 apartments in a housing complex constructed by Bhavanam Foundation at Adimali in Idukki for a total estimated cost of ₹24.82 crore.
When cited the glaring mismatch in project estimate, Biju retorted why such a comparison was necessary. "This project has been approved by the state government and the Chief Minister laid the foundation stone," he said.
Chief Secretary Jayathilak did not respond to Onmanorama's request for comment.
The state government recently introduced a new allowance titled 'Kerala AIS allowance' to the All India Services officers serving in Kerala cadre, effective from March 1. AIS officers of and above the level of Principal Secretary and equivalent shall be eligible for two daily wage staff and the AIS officers up to the level of Secretary and equivalent shall be eligible for one as per the allowance scheme.
The payment of Kerala AIS allowance will be at par with the rate of minimum daily wage applicable. Officers like Principal Secretary in IAS, Additional Director General of Police in IPS and Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests in IFS, will be eligible for ₹38340/month as allowance and officers placed up to the level 14 in the pay matrix shall be eligible for ₹19170 per month as allowance. It has also been ordered that the payable amount for Kerala AIS allowance shall stand revised as and when the rate for daily wage is revised by the government.