JORHAT, April 11 - Finally, after several hiccups that surfaced during the start of construction work of the National Institute of Design (NID) Jorhat at Rajabari outskirts here in 2012, the construction of the building blocks is nearing completion with interior work now in progress at a fast pace.
The site of the NID Jorhat is under the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion under the Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry and is spread over 90-bighas of the Tocklai tea estate, leased by the Tocklai Experimental Station from the Assam Tea Corporation Ltd nearly 37 years ago.
This mega-project, first of its kind in the entire North-east, was launched by the Tarun Gogoi-led government with much hype by getting the foundation laid by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on February 19, 2011, just on the eve of the Assembly polls.
However, the project ran into rough weather in March 2012, during the construction of the boundary wall as the tea estate workers protested allotment of garden land for the institute.
After several rounds of talks with the district administration, the issue was resolved after the administration assured that no family will be displaced because of the project. But the work was disrupted again as two garden workers were murdered on May 16, 2012, by criminals, creating tension in the area.
Pijush Roy, the site project manager of the Guwahati-based construction company - Prabhu Agarwalla Constructions Private Limited � executing the project, told The Assam Tribune that construction work of the buildings was started in April 2016 after the company was awarded the contract. He said the construction work was being carried out under the supervision of National Buildings Construction Corporation (a Central PSU).
Roy said that more than 80 per cent of work of the Rs 64.33 crore-project has been completed with construction of all the buildings of the 9 blocks completed. Roy, however, said the interior works of the buildings were in progress and will need few more months.
The site manager said though the company has set a target to finish work by June-end this year, he said the deadline may get extended.
Roy said that as per the terms and conditions of the contract, the project was supposed to be completed within 18 months from the date of launching work, but has not been able to do so due to few hitches.
He said landscaping of the campus was in progress and solar-powered street lights will be installed soon. Roy said plantation of trees in the campus was also part of the project.
When asked about construction of sports facilities and employee quarters, Roy said that in the first phase of the project, the same was not included, but the government may include in the later phase, he added.
Jorhat Additional Deputy Commissioner Jayanta Goswami, the nodal officer appointed by the government for the project, said the work was nearing completion and was expected to be over in the next few months.
