The Central Public Works Department (CPWD) on Tuesday kicked off the process for the external works of the Museum on Prime Ministers of India by inviting bids, but building construction has been affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) lockdown, according to officials.
The proposed museum on the Teen Murti Estate, the former residence of late Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru that houses the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, was supposed to open by October this year, according to officials of the Union Culture Ministry.
The CPWD, the agency of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs executing the project, floated a tender inviting bids for “external development and lighting works” on Tuesday, with May 28 being the last date for submitting and opening bids. The tender document gives the contractor six months to finish the project, of which estimated cost is ₹10.30 crore.
A CPWD official said the formalities involved should be completed by the first week of June, giving the contractor till December to complete the work, which includes constructing roads in the complex. A pre-bid meeting through video conference would be held on May 20, the tender document said.
The official said the completion of the project would be subject to the pandemic situation as the availability of labour and materials had been affected by the lockdown. The official added that the construction of the museum building was nearing completion, but it was stalled by the lack of materials. Earlier, the project was running behind schedule as the process of developing the design and layout of the museum and audio-visual presentations on all Prime Ministers was taking longer than expected, a Culture Ministry source said.
