Mumbai-based firm among 5 agencies seeking to restore Capitol Complex

The work of restoration, preservation, conservation and management of Capitol Complex which comprises Punjab and Haryana Civil Secretariat building has to be carried out for Rs 25.51 crore.

Capitol Complex, Godrej and Boyce, Capitol Complex heritage site, Capitol Complex restoration, Chandigarh news, indian Express news

Around three to four times, the tender to restore the world heritage Capitol Complex building was floated. (Express File/Sahil Walia)

A Mumbai-based company is among five agencies that have come forward to carry out Rs 38-crore restoration work of the world heritage site of Capitol Complex.

According to details, those that have applied to carry out the work are Godrej & Boyce Company Limited and Swadeshi Infrastructure Private Limited which are New Delhi-based, and Srishti enterprises that is Chandigarh-based.

Savani Heritage Conservation Private Limited, which is based in Mumbai, and A S Enterprises Private Limited from Patiala have come forward too.

Finally, there have been some agencies to carry out the work. Around three to four times, the tender to restore the world heritage Capitol Complex building was floated.

The work of restoration, preservation, conservation and management of Capitol Complex which comprises Punjab and Haryana Civil Secretariat building has to be carried out for Rs 25.51 crore. Of this, civil component will see spending of Rs 19.85 crore while Rs 2.60 crore will be spent on public health services. On electrical installation Rs 3.06 crore are supposed to be spent. The time limit for completion of this work has been kept as 12 months.

The earnest money that needs to be deposited is Rs 35.52 lakh.

A senior official of the engineering wing said that when during the first time the tender was floated, no one came forward while in the second time only one firm expressed interest to carry out the work.

Story continues below this ad

At present, the administration doesn’t have any consultant for the project. They had hired one Mumbai-based consultant who left the work midway.

The consultant was required to carry out a lidar survey where laser is inducted into the building. Through this, one gets to know what is the actual problem and what all are required to do while carrying out the conservation. The estimates are made according to this survey. But this was not carried out, according to the officials.

Lidar is a surveying method that measures distance to a target by illuminating the target with laser light and measuring the reflected light with a sensor. Difference in laser return times and wavelengths can then be used to make digital 3-D representations of the target.

The first ‘restored’ courtroom in the Punjab and Haryana High Court building was thrown open to public a few months ago — three
years after the Capitol Complex was declared a UNESCO heritage site.

Story continues below this ad

Now the UT says they don’t need to hire any consultant and will directly carry out the restoration.

Around Rs 25.5 crore is being spent on the Punjab and Haryana Secretariat building while Rs 5.5 crore is being spent on the Punjab and Haryana High Court building and Rs 6.5 crore on the Punjab and Haryana Assemblies.

The restoration work has seen some rough patches ever since it began. The administration hired a Mumbai-based private consultant for Rs 1.48 crore even as the city has its own architecture college and a full-fledged department of urban planning. The consultant, however, left the work midway.

Hina Rohtaki

Hina Rohtaki is a Special Correspondent at The Indian Express, based in Chandigarh. She is one of the most prominent journalists covering the Chandigarh Administration, civic issues, and the unique political status of the Union Territory. Professional Background Experience: She has been in the field for over a decade and is known for her investigative reporting on administrative waste and urban governance. Awards: She is a recipient of the prestigious Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award, which was presented to her by the President of India in January 2020. She was also awarded the Jethmalani prize (The Will of Steel Awards) in 2025 in the Empowerment category for a series of articles that highlighted the struggles of Covid widows. Core Beat: Her primary focus is the Chandigarh administrative structure, the Union Territory's financial management, and urban development projects. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Her recent work highlights a focus on government accountability, administrative expenditures, and civic trends: 1. Investigative & Financial Reporting "Fuelling power: Senior UT IAS officers guzzled petrol worth Rs 30 lakh in 2 yrs" (Dec 14, 2025): An investigative report detailing the high fuel bills of top bureaucrats, including the Finance Secretary and Chief Secretary’s staff. "Admn spends Rs 1.5 crore on dismantling road railings and fixing again after increasing height" (Dec 8, 2025): Highlighting administrative waste on "non-viable" solutions for pedestrian control. "Chandigarh’s finances under ministry’s watch now" (Nov 27, 2025): Reporting on the new requirement for MHA approval for all new projects in the UT. 2. Governance & Constitutional Status "What will it mean for Chandigarh if it is brought under Article 240?" (Nov 24, 2025): An "Explained" piece on the potential constitutional shift that would grant the President more power over the UT's governance. "MP Manish Tewari moves Bill seeking directly elected Mayor with 5-year tenure" (Dec 6, 2025): Covering the legislative push to reform Chandigarh's municipal leadership structure. "No proposal to increase Mayor's term in Chandigarh by 5 years: Centre" (Dec 10, 2025): Reporting on the Union government's response to demands for a longer mayoral term. 3. Urban Infrastructure & Environment "Chandigarh admn cuts power to India's tallest air purifier, asks firm to dismantle it" (Nov 17, 2025): A critical report on the failure of a high-cost environmental project deemed "of no use" by experts. "UT rethinks 24/7 water supply project as costs soar" (Nov 26, 2025): Detailing the financial challenges and delays in modernizing the city's water network. "Centre 'obfuscating, covering up' MC's shifting deadlines for clearing Dadu Majra dump" (Dec 12, 2025): Reporting on the ongoing controversy surrounding the city's major waste dump. 4. Lifestyle & Local Trends "Chandigarh turns into a Thar city as women fuel the surge" (Dec 2, 2025): A feature on a unique automotive trend in the city, with a record 600 registrations by women drivers this year. "After fivefold spike in 2023, EV sales struggle to pick pace in Chandigarh" (Dec 2, 2025): Analyzing the slowdown in electric vehicle adoption despite previous surges. Signature Beat Hina is known for her meticulous tracking of RTI (Right to Information) data to expose administrative inefficiency. Her "Ground Zero" reporting on the Dadu Majra garbage dump and her scrutiny of the Chandigarh Smart City projects have made her a key figure in the city’s civil society discourse. X (Twitter): @HinaRohtaki ... Read More

Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram