Tax headquarter building to be ready in 24-30 months: Pranab Mukherjee

Rajaswa Bhawan, the proposed national tax headquarters being set up on 5.65 acre-plot at Kasturba Gandhi Marg here, is likely to be ready in the next 24-30 months, finance minister Pranab Mukherjee said today.

"I hope we will stick to the schedule," Mukherjee said while giving aways prizes to the successful architects in the National Architectural Design Competition.

He said the proposed building, which will house the tax department of the country, will set new standards for public access.

The first prize for the design of the proposed building was given to Siddharth Shirur of Vistaar Architects & Planners of Mumbai. While the second and third prize went to SR Sikka (Sikka Associates) and Manit Rastogi (Morphogenesis), respectively.

Mukherjee had announced the project in 2009.

The country's revenue department is right now located in North Block, headquarters of the finance ministry here.

Revenue secretary Sunil Mitra said the ministry expects to obtain the necessary administrative and municipal clearances within six months and the construction work would begin on January 1, 2012.