Sonepur: Inaugurated by the Chief Minister (CM) Naveen Patnaik, the Design Display Centre, built at a whopping cost of Rs 78 lakh near Subarnapur district headquarters here in this district, has been lying unused, making it a veritable hunted building.
In a bid to provide platform for displaying and selling of handicrafts made of terracotta, bamboo and ‘bandha’ (a weaving process) artisans, the project was envisaged and the construction of the building began in 2007-08.
After delay for over 10 years, due to alleged irregularities by engineers, the construction work finished a year or two ago. Later, the two-storey building was inaugurated by the CM. It has since been left to be a hub for goons and anti-socials at night.
While there were reports that the amount released for the construction of the building was siphoned off by engineers and other officials that led to the delay in the opening of the Centre, none have raised their voice to speak against the issue.
Sources said, the then collector Dasarathy Satpathy had directed the textile department to run the centre. But when it comes to running the centre, the textile department disappointed saying there was no budget allocation to run the office about which higher officials were intimated and it would run the centre only when any provision was made. And nothing has been initiated since then to make it functional.
Locals alleged that the building being left abandoned, is has become the den of anti socials.
When contacted, project director, district rural development agency (DRDA) Surya Narayan Dash said efforts are on to make the building functional, but not as a Design Display Centre but as the office of lift irrigation department as its present building is in a dilapidated condition.
“The collector has also directed me in this regard,” he answered.
However the local people have objected the move to turn the Design Display Centre into an office of the irrigation department. They also expressed their dissatisfaction as to why the elected leaders are remaining mute spectators to such a nice project going astray.
PNN
