SATISH HANDA
As many as 15 important projects of value worth over Rs 1255 core started in past few years at twin city Ambala have been delayed and many more are hanging on fire left incomplete due to COVID-19 epidemic outbreak in Haryana state. According to information, there are nine dream projects initiated by Home Minister Anil Vij in his Vidhan Sabha constituency Ambala Cantt and six projects in Aseem Goel’s Vidhan Sabha constituency Ambala City. Work in most of the projects announced and started in 2017, of them eight projects were likely to be completed in 2021 is still going on far behind the schedule at present delayed for one reason or the other and in a recent meeting Vij and Deputy Commissioner Ambala directed all concerned officers to complete all such pending projects immediately since cost of construction material is rising.
Most important Vij’s dream project construction of tourist complex ‘Shahidi Smarak’ in the memory of those sacrificed their lives for the independence of country in nearly 22 acre area on National Highway No. 1 between Delhi and Amritsar near Ambala Cantt having s shopping complex, restaurant, stadium, children park, huge parking for visitors’ vehicles and a helipad is nearly 80% complete and work going on war footing basis to complete this project started on August 1, 2018 scheduled for completion by July 31, 2020 now expected to be completed by July 2022 if everything goes well because nearly20% work still left.
Among other major projects in Ambala Cantt include developing All Weather Swimming Pool inside War Heroes Memorial Stadium in which work started on March 27, 2019 to complete by September 26, 2020 when delayed project was assured that swimming pool will started functioning by July 31, 2021 but swimming lovers in the town were disappointed when failed to have a dip in the pool this summer season. According to concerned sports department officers the work in this project is almost complete. Similarly, as regard construction of Mini Secretariat to accommodate all government offices of Ambala Cantt under a roof is near to completion. According to PWD officers this project will be completed by November 26, 2021.
Construction of Bank Square at Ambala Cantt is another Rs 87 crore prominent project on Ambala-Jagadhari Road near Gandhi Ground to accommodate all banks and corporate offices in the town in this complex comprising of 80 showrooms,300 seat auditorium, parking in the basement as well as ground floor for 620 vehicles, food court, coffee house and helipad with facility for solar system to produce 150 KW power generation and water treatment plant in this complex. According to Anil Vij, work is in progress to complete multi-storey parking complex on Railway Road, developing a Homeopathy College to start functioning from 2024 session, installation of synthetic track for football in War Heroes Memorial Stadium likely to complete by the end of this year, complex for residential flats for civil hospital doctors and para-medical staff on Jagadhari Road all likely to be completed by December 31, 2021, another 100 Bed ward for patients in the Civil Hospital Ambala Cantt work on which started on August 14, 2019 likely to be inaugurated by June 2022, additional rooms in PWD Rest House to be completed by the end of this year in Ambala Cantt as told by PWD officers.
Similarly, among important projects in Ambala City include a Government College for Women likely to be complrted by December 31, 2021, another 200 Bed ward for patients in Civil Hospital Ambala City scheduled fo completion by March 2022, Haryana Roadway Bus Stand to be completed by March 31, 2022, construction of Mini Secretariat the construction started on January 26, 2019 likely to complete by March 31, 2022, nearly 80% work on construction of Veterinary Hospiptal and a college at Lakhnaura Sahib likely to be completed by the end of current year.
