Admn blames Omaxe for delay in multi-crore project

Spread over an area of 336 acres,the project is coming up at the strategically located Sirhind Road.

“One of the main objectives behind the project,as mentioned in the agreement,was employment of 5,000 people in the IT Park and Bio-Tech park. But nothing happened and the IT park is yet to start after almost three years,” said a PDA member,who raised serious objections regarding the project in the District Planning Committee meeting held on June 15.

In the meeting,serious objections on the project were raised keeping view the fact that the reserved land price of Rs 1.5 crore per acre will not fetch a school or dispensary. “Despite advertisements in seven newspapers,none came forward to set up an IT/BT park,” read the minutes of the meeting in possession of The Indian Express.

In an official communiqué to Patiala DC Dipinder Singh,District Planning Committee chairperson Surjit Singh Rakhra had asked for a detailed report on violations of the agreement by the Omaxe authorities. “The 5,000 jobs were to be provided in a phased manner and the milestone was set for every year,but Omaxe has not followed the agreement. What is the status report on that?” read the point raised by Rakhra,in the letter in possession of The Indian Express .

When contacted,Rakhra confirmed they have taken a strict note of the non-compliance of the terms and condition mentioned in the agreement and has sought some documents from the developer. Another meeting in this regard would be convened soon. “Thereafter,we will see what is to be done,” he said.

As per the Administration officials,the project started in August 2009,but till date,there has been no progress with respect to the IT Park and Bio-Tech Park. “The developer was to construct IT Park and Bio-Tech sectors in the project,covering an area of 2.5 lakh square feet,within four years. During the first three years,the minimum area to be developed was 50,000 square feet. So far,not even a single inch has been developed,” said senior Administration functionaries.

In April 2010,shopping-cum-office (SCO) complex at PDA-Omaxe City auctioned 60 shops in Phase I and received over 300 per cent increase in the reserve price. The plot sizes that were auctioned varied from 35 square yard to 200 square yard.

Meanwhile,PUDA ACA Amrit Gill said their department has served various periodical notices to Omaxe and more action will be initiated after August 2011. “They are behind schedule in some of the promised terms,but that was due to the real estate slow down. The developers have already deposited Rs 109 crore. They deserve more time,” she said.

Deputy Commissioner Dipinder Singh,who was also present in the meeting,however,said the violations were “pretty serious”. “The land was provided to the developers to create job opportunities but that never happened. Instead,the developers say they had floated advertisement and none turned up. It is mere eye wash and our youths failed to get jobs despite a government allotted project,” he said.

What does Omaxe have to say?
PDA Omaxe City Patiala,a joint development venture of PDA with Omaxe,is a self-contained city spread over a sprawling 336.5 acres. It is proposed to comprise of IT Park,plotted development,commercial area,institutional area,and other infrastructure facilities complemented by green and pollution free environment.

1. We released advertisements in leading newspapers to invite the Expression of Interest for IT Park,but did not receive any applications. The plans are not shelved and we are awaiting response.

2. The construction of IT Park is done as per the requirement of IT Company. As we did not receive any applications,the construction did not commence.

3. As much as 35 acres of land is reserved for institutional area. We advertised calling Expression of interest from institutes,but didn’t receive any response. We have already launched a housing scheme for EWS and received 6,266 applications for 960 one-room flats. The construction work on EWS flats has already started,though the draw of flats is yet to happen in the end of the month.

4. The planning for community centre and club is underway and we are consulting a foreign architect for its designing.

As far as meeting with the PDPC is concerned,we have submitted our clarification as stated above on their concerns. Moreover,the project was proposed as Urban Estate by PDA and not as a rural development project.

The Project
The project will comprise world-class IT Park,Bio-tech Park and will have 1,700 plots of area ranging from 200 square yards to 1,350 square yards. “The project will have attractions like shopping complex,commercial spaces,gym,health club,institutional area,in-house club with swimming pool,games,sports,and banquet hall,educational campuses,hospitals and many more international standard infrastructure of its own,complemented by green and pollution-free environment,” read the project detail copy available with the district Administration. The developers had to develop IT Park and houses for weaker sections of the society,in addition to an educational campus.