Dispur’s Dream Project Twin Tower Trade Center in Limbo

Can Chandra Mohan Patowary & Ravi Capoor explain the status of progress about the project before the people? Both are answerable as to why the execution of this project has been delayed

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: On February 2, 2018, the Assam Government inked a deal with the National Building Construction Corporation (NBCC) for setting up a 65-storey twin tower trade centre in the city.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for building the trade centre 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 centre at an estimated cost of Rs 1,900 crore and complete the same within 60 months (5 years).

Now after more than 15 months, Dispur’s dream project is lying in limbo puncturing the tall claims of converting Guwahati into a trade and business gateway to South East Asia.

Sources said 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 mega project, informed the sources.

On other hand the 65-storey project has also raised safety concerns since Assam falls in Zone V, a high-risk earthquake category. The tallest existing structure in Guwahati has G+15 floors as per the norms set by the Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA). Can the proposed Twin Tower Trade Center withstand a major earthquake?

The iconic twin towers as per the plans will house consulate offices of Southeast Asian nations, commercial and financial offices, convention centers, museums, hotels, shopping complex, and service apartments.

Dispur had claimed that the twin tower with in-house arrangement would boost business in the State, which aspires to be a hub of trade between India and the bloc of Southeast Asian nations in pursuance of Delhi’s Act East Policy.

In 2018, Industries and Commerce Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary and the then Additional Chief Secretary of Industries, Ravi Capoor built castles in the air about the twin tower project. The duo went all out to make the people of Assam believe that the project would soon become a reality.

Now can Patowary and Capoor explain the status of progress about the project before the people? Both are answerable as to why the execution of this project has been delayed. They must be made accountable to inform the people about the initiatives taken to start the project at the earliest

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