NURPUR, HIMACHAL PRADESH – A three-storey commercial and parking complex in Nurpur, intended to boost local commerce and address parking issues, has remained incomplete for three years, primarily due to an outstanding payment of approximately Rs 1.50 crore. The contractor has halted work, awaiting release of funds from the project executing agency, the Himachal Pradesh Public Works Department (HPPWD).
Information was available with The Chenab Times indicating that the ambitious project, initiated by the Sports and Youth Affairs Department, was awarded to a local contractor on May 2, 2022. The original contract stipulated a one-year completion period, but the project is significantly delayed. The estimated cost of the entire project was Rs 2.84 crore.
Suresh Gupta, the government contractor responsible for the construction, stated that he has received only Rs 1.30 crore over the past three-and-a-half years. He claims that the HPPWD and the associated department still owe him Rs 1.50 crore, which has led him to cease construction activities. The delay in payment has brought the project to a standstill, impacting its potential to serve the community.
The complex was designed with specific functionalities: the ground floor was designated for parking, with capacity for 38 vehicles. The first and second floors were planned to house shops, with 34 and 36 units respectively. Gupta further elaborated that 14 of these shops are fully complete and ready for auction. However, without the clearance of outstanding payments, the contractor has indicated that work will not resume, leaving these completed units inaccessible.
The project was conceptualized during the tenure of Rakesh Pathania, who served as a minister in the previous Jai Ram government. Strategically located adjacent to the indoor stadium and situated along the crucial Pathankot-Mandi National Highway 154, the complex was envisioned to possess substantial commercial appeal. A key objective behind its development was to relocate illegal kiosks that had encroached upon the national highway, providing them with formal retail spaces.
The Sports and Youth Affairs Department had outlined a revenue generation model based on leasing these shops. The plan involved collecting an advance lease payment ranging from Rs 3 to Rs 4 lakh per shop, in addition to a monthly rent determined through an open auction process. This revenue was intended to offset the construction costs. However, the department has faced challenges in operationalizing this plan, failing to secure lessees even for the 14 fully constructed shops.
Ravi Shanker, the Kangra District Sports Officer, addressed the financial aspect of the project, noting that an estimated Rs 1.55 crore is required for its full completion. He confirmed that the state government had sanctioned Rs 1 crore, which the Sports and Youth Affairs Department disbursed to the HPPWD on March 27. Regarding the auction of the completed shops, Shanker stated that the auction committee, chaired by the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) of Nurpur, has yet to finalize the modalities and schedule for the auction process.
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