Kerala saves big money as CIAL T3 gets ready
KOCHI: The new international terminal at CIAL which is all set to be operational by the second week of March stands out not only for timely completion but also for the cost-effective method of construction.
Figures with CIAL reveal it has saved big money for the state exchequer, compared to the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi as the construction of Terminal 3 at CIAL was completed with a minimum budget.
The 15 lakh sq feet project, which took off in 2014, required just around Rs 1,000 crore, whereas the construction of 54 lakh sq feet at Delhi airport during 2008 had incurred a total expense of Rs 13,000 crore. If the expense is converted into per sq feet, at Delhi airport, the figure comes to around Rs 20,000, while CIAL has spent only around Rs 6,000.
“This is a landmark achievement for CIAL as we could set up all the modern facilities with this meagre budget. If we had spent money like in Delhi the expense would have been around Rs 3,000 crore,” said a top CIAL officer.
How it was achieved
According to the officer, tender procedures initiated with different agencies resulted in the huge difference. “We did not invite a single tender for the entire construction but, instead, invited different tenders. The construction of the structure was taken up by L&T and the electrical works by another agency. Though it was a headache, it saved money,” he said.