Due to various reasons, construction cost of Afghan Parliament Building at Kabul has escalated to nearly Rs1,000 crore from Rs296 crore initially estimated in 2006. The Central Public Works Department (CPWD), under the Urban Development Ministry, which is constructing the building has sent the bill to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). It was in 2004 that the Afghan Government had requested India for assisting in construction of Parliament building.
A senior official from the CPWD said that 87 per cent of the work has been completed as on September 30 and the project is likely to be completed by the end of this year.
The construction work of Parliament complex spread over 86 acres, which was started in 2008, has already missed two deadlines — 2011 and 2013 — resulting in huge cost escalation, said the official.