The construction of the much hyped IT park in Kurseong, announced by chief minister Mamata Banerjee on December 8, 2023, has hit a dead end.
The Bengal government has failed to release funds for the project in two years.
Sources said that the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) was entrusted to execute the work “within the approved budget of ₹24.79 crore”. The first phase of the project was to be completed within two years, that is, December 2025.
The announcement for the IT Park was made by Mamata during a public event held at Monteviot Ground in Kurseong. After the GTA was entrusted with its execution, Anit Thapa, the chief executive of the GTA laid the foundation of the park at the abandoned multi-level parking lot near the Kurseong Polytechnic College on February 4, 2024, three months after the initial announcement.
“The GTA started executing the work with speed and completed a substantial amount of work. However, at the moment work is progressing at a very slow pace as the GTA has not received any funds from the state government,” said a source.
“The GTA told vendors that they would be paid when money comes from the state government. However, as no money has come, the GTA couldn’t pay vendors associated with the project,” he added.
The original proposal for the project was ₹46.08 crore. “The state approved ₹24.79 crore but the GTA has not received any funds for this project till date,” the source added.
The IT hub is supposed to be built by WEBEL, the nodal agency of the department of information technology and electronics of the state government, along with the GTA.
The project was billed to open huge opportunities for entrepreneurs for north Bengal and open up a gateway to neighbouring countries Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh.
The park is to have an approximate floor area of 1.5 lakh sqft with 30 plug and play modules of over 35,618sqft and 30-non-plug and play modules of over 24,287sqft.
An approximate area of 5,940sqft is to be used for food and beverage and 19,369sqft for commercial use.
“The IT hub will also boast a car parking facility, a rooftop futsal ground (sports venues with artificial turf on rooftops) and badminton court along with a rooftop theater,” a source had earlier said.