Few stories are as sordid as that of the Jammu International Convention Complex, Its construction began in 1998 and 15 years down the lane, the Complex is still incomplete and undelivered. The saga of the complex reflects very eloquently how uninterested and hell-may-care authorities are in regard to meeting the aspirations of the people. Jammu has yet to have a place where even an ordinary national level convention could be held, leave aside international convention. From day one the entire project got bogged with controversies, disputes, delays, and litigation. This shows how the authorities were least interested in floating a project that would be without hassles and hiccups so serious as to consume fifteen years without any tangible result. Even intervention by the Chief Minister did not help to unlock the logjam. You cannot shut the mouth of the people who are vulnerable to whispering. They say unless there are vested interests why should all these hiccups happen and why did not the authorities anticipate how the project would fare once it was floated on the ground. Nobody believes that the new date line of March 2014 will be adhered to. It is because of the sordid history that has dogged the entire project. People would want to know why the contract with the original contractor was quashed and a new contractor was engaged. They would also like to know why litigation between the contractor doing electrification work and the builder surfaced when things were set forth in clear terms at the time of signing the contracts. There is certainly something fishy about the entire affair. We may recall that prototype of the complex in Srinagar was raised within the stipulated time. It has been fully functional. Hundreds of important conventions were held in it. But Jammu is only groping in the dark. The people must ask the why of this affair.
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