Construction is set to recommence on an abandoned convention centre in western India, which has stood incomplete for seven years.
The Vijayaraje Scindia Convention Centre at Chitrakoot Nagar, Udaipur, has been under construction since March 2008.
However, only the basement, ground floor and first floor of the centre has been completed, despite authorities spending Rs 7 crore (US$1.05m), according to a report from the Urban Improvement Trust.
But the project is about to be revived, after a meeting chaired by the Urban Development and Housing (UDH) authority this week (10 September), The Times of India reported.
"Now, Rs 21 crore will be spent to complete the entire project. The project will be completed in one and half years,” UIT secretary Ram Niwas Mehta told the media this week.
The “world class convention centre”, which is expected to seat 1,700 delegates, will be completed on a Public Private Partnership (PPP) model.
Tender documents show the UIT has committed to complete the build at its own expense if the winning bidder fails to fulfil their obligations.
The trust has also promised to provide land to build a four-star hotel on-site, as well as “commercial and allied facilities” to make the project viable.
The new centre is expected to feature an 800-seat auditorium, exhibition hall, board room and small conference room with capacity for 76 delegates.
