BHUBANESWAR: Four years after the foundation stone was laid, the two much-needed multi-level car parking (MLCP) towers in the State Capital are yet to be completed.
Tardy pace of work coupled with outbreak of Covid-19 infection has forced the projects to lag behind their deadline.
The projects were taken up to ensure a future-proof smart parking facility for the residents and commuters in the city.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had laid foundation stone for both the projects in June 2017.
After four years, around 20 per cent (pc) work on MLCP at Saheed Nagar and 30 pc work on MLCP at Rajmahal are pending.
The Bhubaneswar Smart City Ltd (BSCL), which is executing the projects through a private agency, has already sought extension of the deadline from April to August.
However, a senior official from BSCL said they have started facing problem due to shortage of workers following the outbreak of Covid-19.
Construction work had came to a grinding halt for several months due to imposition of lockdown last year.
Though the structures of the two projects have been completed, there has been shortage of manpower for flooring, interior and glass work.
The projects for which the initial deadline was around 12 months was supposed to decongest Janpath by creating parking infrastructure for around 700 cars.
The inordinate delay has raised concern as the entire stretch of Janpath continues to face traffic jam on normal days due to on-street parking.
BSCL general manager said the projects will be completed within next three months if Covid situation normalises.