Four years have passed since construction of a mini-auditorium began at the Nadim Memorial government higher secondary school in Kaloosa area of Bandipora, but the slow pace of work has ensured it’s incomplete.
Residents say the construction work on the auditorium began in September 2015.
“The R&B department has been able to construct only the structure. Slow pace of work carried out by the department has left the project languishing. This was the only auditorium being constructed in any government school in Bandipora division,” said Ghulam Mohi-ud-din, a resident.
According to details available with Greater Kashmir, the actual cost for the construction of the auditorium was 201.86 lakhs, out of which only 60 lakh have been spent in four years.
Residents say now the construction work has been left midway.
“Several windows and doors of the building have been broken and in the absence of watch and ward, the building is being used by anti-social elements for gambling and other anti-social activities. These elements have easy access to this under-construction building,” a resident complained.
Students of the higher secondary are also dismayed, saying that the construction of this auditorium was a good initiative and their long pending demand.
“Had the auditorium been completed we would have been able to conduct several cultural events, seminars and other informative programmes,” said Eliyas Ahmad, a standard 11 student of the school.
“But unfortunately, the concerned department has failed to complete it despite passing of 4 years.”
An official of the R&B department said that due to lack of funding the construction of the auditorium got delayed.
Executive engineer Bandipora R&B Division, Abdul Aziz Bhat said the government has launched a scheme for languishing projects across the state for their completion.
“We have submitted a case for inclusion of this auditorium under the languishing projects scheme. As and when the project is approved funds will be released and only then we can complete this project,” Bhat said.