Shopping complex hanging fire for 17 years­

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Bhubaneswar: The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has issued a show-cause notice to Panchadeep Constructions Ltd to explain why a shopping complex in Unit IV Market, under construction for the past 17 years, was not handed over to it and warned of stern action for not adhering to the terms of agreement.
“We have instructed the director of Panchadeep Constructions to explain within 30 days why BMC should not take over the whole project at the cost of the developer and also impose penalty on the later,” said additional commissioner of BMC, Alok Kar.
The BMC authorities, meanwhile, have issued a public notice on receipt of information that Panchadeep Constructions Limited was selling units of the project although the Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) has not issued any occupancy certificate for the units. The project built on PPP mode was ‘‘yet to be completed in full form’’, it is alleged.
“As such, the general public is cautioned not to buy any unit without verifying the Occupancy Certificate issued by the competent authority. BMC shall not be responsible for any such transaction, if made,’’ added the public notice.
Notably, as the oldest public-private partnership (PPP) project in the city, the market-cum-office complex in Unit-IV, started in 1999 was to be completed by a deadline of 2003, but it is yet to be utilised by the public. BMC and M/S Panchadeep Constructions Limited had signed an MoU February 5, 1999. The 883 decimal land on which the complex stands belongs to the BMC.
As per terms of the agreement, Panchadeep Market Complex has a built-up area of 16, 584 sq metre (1,78,508.69 sq feet) and parking space of 5,019 sq metre (54024.07 sq feet). The BMC’s share is 72 per cent of the ground floor, 36 per cent on the first floor and 30.6 on the second and subsequent floors.
Significantly, top BMC officials remained tightlipped as to why the corporation did not act on the issue for over 14 years. When contacted, Mayor Anant Narayan Jena informed this paper that civic body would consider a probe into the issue.
“We are awaiting their response. If needed, we will investigate why action was not taken all these years,’’ added Jena.
Although other PPP projects like BMC-Bhawani Mall and BMC-Keshari Mall have already become operational after coming to limelight much later than the Panchadeep Market Complex, the inordinate delay caused by Panchadeep Constructions has irked the civic authorities only recently.