A white elephant

05/07/2020

The project titled Modernization of General Bus Stand and Development of Multi-Level Car Parking-cum-Commercial Complex was started by the Jammu Development Authority some years back in order to arrest further congestion in the area. The ground floor of the complex has been earmarked for double height bus terminal with 80 bus bays along with ticketing counters, reception and passenger waiting room etc while as first, second and third floors have been raised for conventional ramp based car parking. The fourth and fifth floors have commercial spaces for multi-brand stores, restaurants, food courts etc with provision for premium car parking. For the construction of this much-hyped project, the internal resources of the Jammu Development Authority as well as State Share are being utilized. However, there is no taker of the floors earmarked for commercial activities till date mainly because of huge minimum reserved price fixed by the Jammu Development Authority. It is in the final stages of completion along the BC Road by spending crores of rupees, will turn out to be a white elephant for the Jammu Development Authority (JDA) as there is no taker of two floors earmarked for the multi-brand stores, restaurants etc because of the colossal minimum reserved price. This important aspect has failed to receive due attention of the authorities of the Jammu Development Authority as well as those senior bureaucrats who are reviewing the progress of this mega project after regular intervals as if utilization of tax payers' money carries no importance for them.
108 shops of different dimensions on two floors of the complex were put to auction for the first time on August 9, 2018 and thereafter this exercise was conducted two more times but till date only 6 shops have been allotted to the bidders. This is mainly because of huge minimum reserved price fixed for the shops by the Jammu Development Authority.
People don't consider investing such a huge amount for small shops as a profitable venture as such they chose not to participate in the auctions conducted by the JDA till date and since these two floors are considered as major source of return of investment made in the project, the complex will turn out to be white elephant for the JDA if such a large number of shops remain un-allotted. The most shocking aspect is that this facet has not been seriously debated either in the JDA or at the highest level in the Union Territory administration till date although progress on the project is being reviewed after regular intervals at various levels.

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