Srinagar, Mar 7: There seems no end to delay in the much-awaited inauguration of the Sangarmaal City Centre shopping plaza. Even though after missing some deadlines the mega complex is ready for the show since January this year, the government is indecisive on who would inaugurate the mega mall and when.
 This has irked the business community, which has pumped millions of rupees to get space at the first of its kind shopping plaza in the City constructed by the Srinagar Development Authority.
 Greater Kashmir learnt from highly placed sources that the National Conference-Congress coalition government has been indecisive on the issue as the inauguration of the state-of-the- art facility is being seen as mega event.
 “Finally, the Housing and Urban Development department ministry approached New Delhi looking from someone from the Union government to inaugurate the mall,” said a source in the ministry requesting not to be named.
 He said the government was yet to get a nod on the date of inauguration and the celebrity who would do the honors leading to a delay.
 “The state has requested them, but consent better say Mahurat is awaited,” he added.
 
THE COMPLEX
 Designed and developed with the idea of Shopping-in-Leisure, the SDA owned mall near the City Centre is equipped with every such facility that any modern shopping plaza in Delhi, Mumbai or other metropolitan cities has.
 Besides landscaped plazas and lush green patches, the Sangarmaal City Center at Maulana Azad Link Road has sufficient space for restaurants, food courts, kiosks, water bodies, fountains, children’s play area, retail outlets, craft bazaar, amphitheater and offices.
 Another attraction of the shopping complex is that it has been designed in tune with the distinct Kashmir heritage and architecture.
 Spread over 20 kanal land, Sangarmaal has a huge built-up area of 101000 sft.
 In the first phase, 62 shops, 11 office spaces, one restaurant, two food courts and 11 kiosks with  parking facility for around 350 vehicles including basement parking for 100 vehicles has been provided. In addition, the craft bazaar has 38 shops with a distinct Kashmir heritage touch.

INVESTORS COMMUNITY IRKED
 Sources said almost 80 % of the mall space has been auctioned with the business community wanting an immediate commissioning of the facility.
 “We have borrowed loan heavily from the banks and have to pay back installments, the delay is badly affecting our financial status,” said a group of traders who have procured shops there.

THE DELAYS
 The Sangarmal inauguration missed many deadlines in the past as the construction work couldn’t be completed in time.
 After some prior hiccups, the work was expected to be completed by July 2009 but missed the deadline as well. Then October was scheduled to be the new deadline. But that too couldn’t mature and finally, the complex was ready a few months later by January 2010. This too on persistent review of the work by the H&UDD ministry and the SDA Vice Chairman, Kifayat Hussain Rizvi.
 Pertinently, the Sangarmaal construction started in 2002 when foundation stone was laid by the then minister for Housing, late Ghulam Mohi-ud-Din Shah during the then NC regime.
 Since then four regimes changed but the Sangarmaal is yet to be inaugurated.
“We’ve heavily borrowed loan from the banks and have to pay back installments, the delay is badly affecting our financial status”

Lastupdate on : Sun, 7 Mar 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sun, 7 Mar 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Mon, 8 Mar 2010 00:00:00 IST