Rs 17-cr auditorium in Ballabhgarh ready for inauguration after 15 yrs

After a 15-year wait, Ballabhgarh’s first public auditorium is finally set to be inaugurated. Built at a cost of Rs 17 crore, the project involved collaboration between two construction agencies.

Missed 4 deadlines

• The foundation stone of the Municipal Corporation Faridabad (MCF)-owned auditorium project was laid in 2009 during the regime of the Hooda government.
• However, the work was soon halted and remained stalled until July 2014, when then MLA Sharda Rathaur intervened to revive it.
• Frequent delays caused the project to miss at least four deadlines.

The foundation stone for the Municipal Corporation Faridabad (MCF)-owned auditorium project was laid in 2009 during the regime of the Hooda government. However, work was soon halted and remained stalled until July 2014, when then MLA Sharda Rathaur intervened to revive it.

Although the construction resumed, progress remained slow over the next four years. In 2018, the civic body reassigned the project to a new agency, but poor progress continued, hindered by financial issues, design changes and payment disputes between 2020 and 2023. Initially budgeted at Rs 6.76 crore, the project’s cost was revised to Rs 17 crore in 2022-23, when the Public Works Department (PWD) took over.

Frequent delays caused the project to miss at least four deadlines. With a significant seating capacity, the auditorium is now finally ready for formal inauguration, according to district administration officials.

The work on the auditorium reportedly stalled for nearly three years, partly due to the Covid-19 pandemic and financial constraints. By the end of 2021, construction was estimated to be 60-70 per cent complete, but delays in releasing outstanding dues caused further setbacks, sources said.

Local MLA Mool Chand Sharma pushed for additional funding from the state government, leading to an extra allocation of over Rs 10 crore and the project’s transfer to the PWD for completion.

Although the MCF initially pledged to cover project costs, financial strain led officials to shift the burden to the Chief Minister’s announcement funds. The PWD faced further delays due to the late release of additional funds amid pandemic conditions in 2021 and 2022.

“The work on the auditorium is nearly complete and is expected to open within the next 10 days,” confirmed PWD Executive Engineer Pradeep Sindhu.