The new Vice President Enclave, being built as part of the Central Vista redevelopment plan, will have a “non-lethal electrical fencing” to prevent trespassing, according to an official document. The CPWD, a prime construction agency of the central government, has invited bids for installation and five-year maintenance of the fence at the Vice President Enclave at a cost of Rs 96 lakh.
In its bid document, the Central Public Works Department said that the work of the power fencing system will be carried out on the existing outer boundary wall of the VP Enclave which is currently under construction on Church Road in Lutyens’ Delhi.”The system shall be capable of providing minimum 5 joules (unit of energy) of shock energy anywhere on the fence,” the document states.
The last date to submit technical and financial bids is April 13, and they will be opened on the same day.The estimated cost of the electric fencing project is around Rs 96.57 lakh and the CPWD has set the target of completing the project within 90 days. In 2021, infrastructure firm Kamladityya Construction Pvt Ltd had been awarded the contract for constructing the VP Enclave at a cost of Rs 206 crore.
The redevelopment of the Central Vista — the nation’s power corridor — envisages a new triangular Parliament building, a common central secretariat, a new prime minister’s residence and office and a new vice president’s enclave, among other buildings. The VP Enclave will have the vice president’s residence and secretariat.
According to the CPWD bid document, all materials to be used for the fencing will be approved by the engineer-in-charge prior to their actual work.”The material to be used in the work shall be procured only from authorized sources/dealers/distributors and documentary evidence to this effect shall be submitted as and when desired to the engineer-in-charge failing which the engineer-in-charge reserves the right to reject the materials,” it states. Tata Projects Limited is constructing the new parliament building. Infrastructure firm Larsen & Toubro Limited is constructing the first three buildings of the common central secretariat.
The redevelopment work of Central Vista Avenue, stretching from Vijay Chowk to India Gate, has been done by Shapoorji Pallonji and Company Limited. The central government will also construct an Executive Enclave which will house the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Cabinet Secretariat, India House and the National Security Council Secretariat.
India House will be used as a conference facility like the Hyderabad House where high-level talks, especially with top visiting leaders of various countries, are currently held.