Rs 81.64 crore sanctioned for Mantralaya renovation

MUMBAI: Maharashtra government today approved a Rs 81.64 crore proposal towards repair and renovation of the state secretariat, top floors of which were gutted in a major fire in June that left five people dead.

As per the repair and renovation work, the secretariat would get additional space of one lakh sq.ft. The work has been entrusted to Raja Adere and Company. The remuneration would be paid as per the council of Architecture norms, officials said.

The renovation and repair work will be carried out till the sixth floor even though the June 21 fire had ravaged the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh floors.

"The seventh floor was a makeshift construction that came up under the Sushilkumar Shinde government in 2003 to accommodate a large council of ministers," sources said.