Panvel | September 10, 2026
Panvel Municipal Corporation has approved an additional Rs 371 crore for the construction and related works of its proposed Swarajya headquarters, even as the civic building remains incomplete four years after work began.
The approval was granted at a special general body meeting held on Wednesday. Of the sanctioned amount, Rs 120 crore has been allocated for construction, while Rs 251 crore will cover interiors, decoration and other ancillary works.
The decision came amid questions from municipal members about when the corporation’s operations would actually move into the building. Work on the Swarajya headquarters started in 2022 and was originally expected to be completed within 30 months. The project has since been delayed because of technical difficulties and changes to the construction and interior works.
According to the report presented at the meeting by Tejaswini Pandit of Hiten Sethi Associates, the cost increase includes higher requirements for construction and decoration. The consultant’s presentation reviewed the additional expenditure needed to continue and complete the project.
Municipal Commissioner Mangesh Chitale said the original construction contract was awarded for Rs 112 crore. After additions to the scope of work, the construction cost rose to Rs 131 crore. Some works and materials included in the original contract have been changed, while modifications have also been made to parts of the building’s design.
Because of these changes, the corporation will have to issue fresh tenders for the revised works. Chitale said work valued at about Rs 30 crore from the original contract has still not been completed and will also have to be included in the new tender.
The corporation attributed the delay partly to the project’s technical complications and to the way changes and slow progress were reported by the company responsible for supervising the construction. The administration said it was not informed in time about some changes in the work and the project’s slow pace.
The additional approval therefore covers both unfinished construction and the expanded requirements for interiors and associated works. The report did not specify a revised date for completion or when municipal operations would begin from the Swarajya headquarters. The next procedural step is the preparation and issuance of fresh tenders for the revised and pending works.
