Jahangeer Ganaie
Anantnag, Mar 1: About 19 years later, a shopping complex raised by Urban Local Bodies (ULB) in the heart of Anantnag town is awaiting completion.
An official said that the ULB took over the construction of a shopping complex in the Anantnag town in 2004 but it is still lying incomplete.
He said that construction of the complex was halted in 2009 due to paucity of the funds and after a period of about 6 years, the work was resumed in 2015 when the project cost was revised to Rs 19.28 crore against Rs 8.65 crore.
He said that work on the project has been abandoned several times and despite the passing of about two decades, the complex is lying incomplete.
A local shopkeeper said that when work on the complex was started, the government invited people to deposit money for the booking of the shop but since then decades have passed but the complex is still incomplete.
He said that it is unfair with the people who have submitted tokens before two decades to get shops in the complex.
Locals said that the incomplete building is being used by drug addicts as it has been a safe haven for them.
“One can go inside it and can find syringes, bottles and other material lying there but the government has failed to take cognizance of the matter,” they said.
The authorities are well aware about the issue but they are resorting to dilly dally tactics due to unknown reasons, they said.
They requested LG Manoj Sinha to personally look into the matter so that the complex will be completed and allotted to deserving persons.
