A two-storied building worth over Rs 1 crore, which was built for staff of the District Industries Centre (DIC), has become a ghost house. The newly constructed building without any occupancy would be soon demolished as the land would be utilized for a proposed IDCO tower.
According to information, construction of the building behind the DIC office began in 2001 with an estimation of about Rs 30 lakh by the Works Department.
The purpose of the building was to accommodate 11 families of DIC staff. It was to be handed over by the PWD to the DIC within three years.The completion while witnessed an inordinate delay, handing over could only be made before three years. The DIC authorities found several infrastructure of the building either damaged or missing. Hence, no staff agreed to shift to the new building. The building infrastructure since then was idle and in an abandoned State. Weed and bushes grew around in the want of maintenance and it bore a dilapidated look.
Recently the State Government while planning for an Idco tower to be built on an area of over 5 acres has decided to demolish the unoccupied building along with DIC office for the sake of the mega project.
In the meantime, the DIC office has been shifted from the present location ( near ITI square) to Nocci complex from September 1 in order to facilitate works for the said tower.The proposal of demolishing building, meanwhile, has evoked strong reactions. According to an insider of the DIC, firstly, the building couldn’t be handed over in time; secondly it was found that the rooms were unworthy for living as infrastructure was either damaged or missing.
The DIC has been shifted from the town to a distance of about 10 km as there was no other building available around to accomdate DIC, but the same building ( which is unutilised and abandoned) could have been utilised for the office purpose for the time being, he observed, adding that it is one of the cases how the Government resources are squandered without care and accountability.