Ambedkar museum work hit by lack of funds

Nagpur: Guardian minister Nitin Raut talks about making Nagpur a part of India’s Buddhist circuit, but he has not been able to secure funds for the project coming under it. The work on Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar museum at Chicholi has been badly hit due to lack of funds. It was to be completed in December 2018, but got delayed due to various reasons.
The cost of the museum is Rs41 crore and so far the government has released only Rs15 crore. “The museum is about 90% complete. However, the contractors are working at a snail’s pace for finishing the remaining work as they have not received payment of Rs26 crore. Work can only pick up speed when we pay the contractor,” said a Nagpur Improvement Trust (NIT) official on the condition of anonymity.
Commenting on the lack of funds, Raut said, “This is a difficult year. A cut was imposed on the money sanctioned in the budget for 2020-21. However, some money will be sanctioned under supplementary grants in the monsoon session of state legislature and work will pick up pace.”
Raut had planned to open the museum on Dhammachakra Pravartan Din this year. However, NIT officials say this is an impossible target now because work cant be completed by then even if the entire amount is sanctioned.
Slamming Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, BJP general secretary Chandrashekhar Bawankule said it had not sanctioned a single penny for Nagpur district’s tourist and religious places including Ramtek, Koradi, Chicholi, Deekshabhoomi, Tajbagh and Dragon Palace temple in the budget for 2020-21. “It is the responsibility of Raut to get the money sanctioned for these six projects in supplementary budget to be tabled on Tuesday,” he added.