Chennai’s National Institute of Ageing building safe; flaw is in tender: Minister

CHENNAI: There are no issues with the stability of the National Institute of Ageing building on the King Institute of Preventive Medicine and Research campus in Guindy but the plastering on the walls is ripping off because it was done without mixing the appropriate amount of chemicals, Tamil Nadu public works department minister E V Velu said on Monday.
A three-member committee comprising IIT-Madras professor Manu Santhanam and two PWD engineers was asked to study the safety of the building.
“They have certified it safe for the geriatric hospital. But plastering wasn’t done properly. That is why plasters are ripping off in just two years. We had issued a show-cause notice to Erode-based contractor R P Periyasamy asking him to explain why the plastering had been done without following protocol,” he said.
“Periyasamy replied that he had followed all the specifications mentioned in the tender,” the minister said.
The state could not initiate action due to an inherent flaw in the tender, Velu said. “The previous government did not include mixing of two chemicals with M-sand in the estimated cost. So, we could not do much. However, he promised to repeat the plastering work if work is handed over to him. Work has begun, it will be completed soon,” Velu said.
The PWD now includes the cost of these chemicals as part of the estimated cost. “So it is mandatory for them to use this and ensure adequate curing is done,” he said.
“There is no problem using M-sand. It is approved for construction by scientists because sand is on demand. But while doing so, rules must be followed,” he said.
In May, health minister Ma Subramanian said health services for the elderly would begin only after the building was declared safe for use. Subramanian said the building did not look like it was built two years ago.
The National Centre of Ageing, which was established by the central government as a tertiary care centre, was converted into an exclusive Covid-19 hospital during the Covid-19 pandemic. The construction of the buildings began in 2014-15 and was built at a cost of Rs 157 crore.