The construction of the new building of the collectorate in Pauri has remained incomplete for over three years because of fund crunch. Despite six reminders sent by the district administration for the approval of the budget to the previous Congress-helmed Government and eight to the present BJP Government, the budget remains elusive with the building remaining in the same shape it was over three years ago.
The then State Government had sanctioned Rs 4.97 crore for the construction of the new building in 2012-13. With the sanctioned budget, the construction had started and the structure of the building had been erected in 2013. Thereafter, the work had been stalled thanks to dearth of funds and things have not looked up since. The district administration had sent a letter, asking for the sanction of over Rs 2.5 crore for the civil work and Rs 2.40 crore for electrification to the State Government on July 14 2015 and since six reminders had been sent to then Congress-led Government till February 27 2017.
The Government had chosen to sit on it though. Following the regime change, eight reminders have been sent to the BJP Government since June 24 2017 to January 18 2018. However, the result is the same as the government lets things to vegetate. The angry citizens of the town say that while the Chief Minister is on scheme announcement spree, dishing out one project after another for other districts, the meager amount needed for the completion of the building remains elusive for Pauri.
With things remaining uncertain, the Pauri district administration has white- washed the incomplete building from its own resources. “Things are really gloomy. We hope that the State Government would soon wake up to the need of completing the building,” says a senior district officer.