11 years on, south campus auditorium no show

CHANDIGARH: In 11 years after first plans in 2007 and nine years since Manmohan Singh laid the foundation stone as the-then prime minister in 2009, Panjab University couldn’t complete the almost-2,400-seater multipurpose auditorium on south campus

A tussle with the contractor has stopped the work in Sector 25 for almost two months now. Slapping a fine of Rs 80 lakh on the servicer hasn’t helped. His machines remain on the site, and a worker around that equipment said the company didn’t have the kind of money to complete the construction on time, even though the university had given it many extensions.


The construction started in 2012. The cost has escalated from Rs 30 crore in 2009 to more than Rs 72 crore now. PU spokesperson Renuka Salwan says the university will float a new tender. Along with a total covered area of 1.40 lakh square feet and a basement over 20,971 sqft, the auditorium will also have three seminar halls with a seating capacity of 130 to 600.


The RCC structure of the main auditorium and front portion is complete. Dining area, parking lot, approach roads, electricity sub-station, power backup, air-conditioning plant, elevators, firefighting system, and security cameras are planned along with a workshop, green rooms, and rehearsal spaces. A second parking lot in the basement is also proposed. Convention spaces will boost tourism, and trade, says Chandigarh Beopar Mandal chairman Charanjiv Singh.