Mangaluru : Construction of the Rs. 5.50-crore Tulu Bhavan, envisaged by the Karnataka Tulu Sahitya Academy, near Urwa Stores in the city, is running behind schedule by six months.

Deputy Commissioner of Dakshina Kannada A.B. Ibrahim, who inspected the building works on Friday, instructed the PWD officials to speed up the work so that at least the office of the academy could be shifted from the Mangaluru City Corporation building at Lalbagh by April.

Officials told Mr. Ibrahim that there was a delay in releasing the second installment. Rs. 4 crore out of Rs. 5.50 crore that has been released so far.

As per the original estimate, the building, the construction of 53,000 sq. ft. plinth area (with cellar plus three floors), should have been completed by August, 2014.

Though the contractor has said the building will be complete by year-end, officials directed him to expedite it to August. President of the academy M. Janaki Brahmavar was present.