BHAWANIPATNA: Non-allocation of adequate funds by the State Government has delayed the construction of Town Hall here. While civil work has been completed with an estimated cost of Rs 2.6 crore, plastering and electrification jobs are yet to take off due to lack of funds.
As per reports, the Old Town hall of Bhawanipatna Municipality was demolished after lying in a dilapidated condition for several years. Residents and cultural organisations of the town used to depend on the facility for different events.
But for the last five years, they have been using the private conference halls and Kalyan Mandap. In 2016-17, the Housing and Urban Development department sanctioned Rs 4 crore for construction of a new town hall in the town. The Public Works Department (PWD) has been executing the civil construction work over 11,000 sq ft area. So far, the structural part of the hall has been completed. While Rs 2.6 crore was allotted, the rest of the amount is yet to be released.
Similarly, Rs 80 lakh is pending for payment to the contractor concerned. This apart, Rs 2.5 crore more is required for furnishing, electrification work and installation of ACs, chairs, furniture and acoustics.
Executive Engineer of PWD Ajit Babu said the new Town Hall will have a sitting capacity of 800. “The structural part of the hall has already been completed and we are waiting for release of balance amount to proceed further. The authority concerned has been apprised about the status and required fund,” he said.