Guwahati: Assam's Industries and Commerce Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary today stated that the state government will soon invite tender for the construction of the proposed twin tower in Guwahati city.
The minister, while addressing a press meet in Guwahati on Monday, cited the novel coronavirus pandemic as the main reason why Dispur's ambitious project has lain in limbo.
"The Government of Assam is all set to construct the tower this year itself. We will soon invite tender for the same," the minister told mediapersons at the end of Cabinet meeting held at the Administrative Staff College in Khanapara.
It needs mention here that the state government announced an ambitious project that envisaged the construction of a pair of towers in Guwahati during the Advantage Assam investment summit.
On February 2, 2018, the Assam Government inked a deal with the National Building Construction Corporation (NBCC) for setting up a 65-story twin tower trade center in the city. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for building the trade center on a 30-bigha plot at Basistha Chariali along the NH-37 was signed a day ahead of the Global Investors' Summit.
On July 18, 2018, religious rituals were conducted at the project site to start construction of the twin tower trade center at an estimated cost of Rs 1,900 crore and complete the same within 60 months (5 years).
However, the project has been in limbo after the initial excitement over its announcement. Last yeat. sources informed The Sentinel that a dearth of funds has emerged as the major hurdle in the construction of the twin tower trade center.
The Industries and Commerce department went overboard and chalked out the plan for the twin tower without going into the details of the funding pattern and the sources of funding for such a megaproject.
Moreover, the Government's decision to construct the major structure in Guwahati has been met with criticism as Assam in Zone V, a high-risk earthquake category.