February 3, 2003	Monday	Zilhaj 1,1423

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ISLAMABAD, Feb 2: The Central Development Working Party has approved a Rs200 million PC-I of renovation project of the gutted Shaheed-i-Millat Secretariat, a housing ministry official told Dawn on Sunday.

The official said the renovation work would be executed by army engineers. The government, he said, had allocated Rs100 million for the project in the current fiscal year. The project will be completed in two years, and the remaining amount is be allocated in the next federal budget.

A sum of Rs50 million will be spent on reinforcement of building structure; Rs50 million, refurbishing and renovation work; Rs2 million, installation of new lifts; Rs80 million, fire- fighting and alarm system; Rs18 million, miscellaneous work.

The official said the project had two phases — repair of damaged building and renovation. In the first phase, building structure will be reinforced, and in the second, refurbishing and renovation is to be done.

Earlier, both the renovation and reinforcement were to be carried out only at one floor on experimental basis, involving different tests to be conducted by the army engineers to check the quality and durability of the work. “If the work is declared satisfactory, then it will be extended to other floors,” an engineer in the housing ministry said.

He said a special technology would be used in reinforcement of the building. “This technology will be used for the first time in the country,” he added.

Responding to a query about types of work to be carried out in the building, the official said new air-conditioning, smoke- detecting and fire-fighting systems would be installed.

He said the allocated amount would also be spent on purchase of wood panelling, false ceiling, wood work etc. The Pakistan Institute of Fire Technology will be consulted regarding installation of fire prevention and control system.

A source in the ministry said property worth over Rs70 million was destroyed in the building by the fire, which erupted on January 15, 2002. Out of the 17 stories of the building, 14 were completely gutted.

Despite the fact that separate investigations have been carried out by various departments like police, interior ministry and Chief Executive Secretariat, the cause of fire has not been made public so far. The building of Shaheed-i-Millat Secretariat is stated to be the first high-rise of the capital, constructed some 22 years ago. The site plan had been approved in 1976, and the building was constructed in 1980. Some renovation and expansion work was executed in 1995 and 1997, the ministry official said.

The building, originally belonging to the House Building Finance Corporation, was purchased by the Ministry of Housing and Works in 1986 for Rs163 million. Maintenance of the building is the responsibility of the Public Works Department.

The building houses offices of 10 different ministries, division and departments, which have been shifted to other government buildings on temporary basis.