Union minister of state for finance SS Palanimanickam laid the foundation stone for the Customs and central excise office in Wadala (E) on Tuesday.

In the first phase, an office complex of 64,000 sq m and warehouses of 12,000 sq m will be built followed by a residential complex and sports and welfare Centre.

In the second phase, around 1,500 residential units, a sports complex and welfare centre will be built. The 54-acre plot was handed over to the Customs in 2003 by the CPWD. S K Goel, chairman of Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC), MS Badhan, member of CBEC, Shobha L Chary, chief commissioner of Customs (Mumbai Zone-I), Sandhya Baliga, director-general (HRD) and P K Agrawal, commissioner of Customs (general) were present at the function.