Handwara, Feb 23: In a sheer disappointment to the people of the border district Kupwara, the lone Industrial Biotechnology Park sanctioned in 2018 to be set up in Handwara town still awaits the completion while the project was supposed to be completed in three years after the approval.
In June 2018, two Industrial Biotechnology Parks (IBTPs) in Jammu and Kashmir have sanctioned at a total cost of Rs 8466.00 lakh and expected to be completed in three years.
The Ministry of Science and Technology 2018 sanctioned two major Industrial Biotechnology Parks for Jammu and Kupwara and stated that the construction of the same will be completed in three years.
“An amount of Rs 4266.00 lakh was sanctioned for the construction of Industrial Biotechnology in Handwara,” an official document revealed.
The document stated that the establishment of Industrial Biotechnology will boost the bio-enterprise development along with employment generation for youth and students in the UT of Jammu & Kashmir.
Officials in the district administration disclosed that soon after the major project was sanctioned the construction was started on a war footing basis with few complexes nearing completion but was later left halfway.
“The Industrial Biotechnology Technology Park in Handwara was seen as a major relief among the local populace believing that it will act as a major source of business set up for the youth but the inaction in the second consecutive year has dismayed all,” they said.
They also said that there were two main factors for the delay in construction that include a major hurdle of the high tension (HT) line and the dearth of funds for the project.
In the recent review meeting chaired by the Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, it was stated that nearly 50 per cent of the work has been completed while the funds have not been received for the last one year now. However, the matter has been raised with the concerned quarter.
“The work shall be completed by April 2022 while the equipment part needs to be tendered out,” the minutes of the meeting said.
It stated that the matter related to the shifting of the HT line will be taken up with KPDCL and CE KPDCL shall explore the possibilities of resolving the same at the earliest.
Additional Deputy Commissioner Handwara, Nazir Ahmad said that he has no information about the matter.
He said that no officer of the agency is deputed in Handwara.
“They owe a huge amount of money to the people here but despite repeated reminders, nothing has been done. Neither they send money nor the construction has resumed,” Nazir said.
Notably, the construction of the Biotechnology park was awarded to NPCC—(KNO)
