The incomplete complex. Picture by S.H. Patgiri

Oct. 28: It is a dream project gone sour. A decade and Rs 6.35 crore later, the fate of the Machkhowa cultural complex hangs in the balance.

The Indian Tea Association (ITA), which is funding the state-of-the-art complex, has cited the recession in the industry for its inability to “provide funds at the moment”.

The project needs Rs 80 lakh to pay off contractors and another Rs 20 lakh for its completion.

The government is now looking for co-sponsors who will bail the complex out of the morass. On September 23, members of the trust — which include representatives of the government, the cultural complex committee and the ITA — met minister of state for cultural affairs Pranati Phukan to find a way out of the mess.

“Yes, we are very unhappy over the state of affairs,” Phukan said, “And we have decided to call a meeting with representatives from the oil sector who will help us with the funds required for the project. The ITA has expressed its inability to pay any more.”

Dispur is hoping that the oil sector — Oil India Limited, ONGC and Numaligarh refinery — will come forward to fund the remaining work.

Phukan said the government has set a two-month deadline to complete the formalities and take charge of the complex by the beginning of 2004.

For the cultural activists associated with the project since it was first envisaged, it has been a “frustrating wait” because the complex is almost ready to start functioning.

“Very little remains to be done and it be will ready,” said theatre artist Girish Choudhury, a member of the Machkhowa cultural complex committee as well as the Assam cultural trust, which will take care of the theatre once it is handed over to the government.

The complex, likely to be named Pragjyoti, consists of a fully air-conditioned theatre with a seating capacity of 700 and library besides greenrooms and office. Sources in the committee said the remaining work would not take more than a month.

Dhiraj Kakoti of the Assam branch of Indian Tea Association (Abita) brushed aside allegations of “negligence” from cultural activists, saying, “Having provided over Rs 6 crore, it is unfair to talk about negligence. But because of the recession, things have become very difficult for the industry.”

The idea for the project was envisaged in 1992 when the then AGP government wanted to construct a multistoreyed market complex in place of the bus depot, which was shifted to Adabari.

However, a few youths of the area protested, saying a commercial complex in that place would nullify the very purpose of shifting the bus depot — to reduce traffic congestion and noise pollution.

After consultation with some renowned cultural activists, the youths placed its demand before the government in 1992, when the Congress was in power.

Then chief minister Hiteswar Saikia readily agreed. Regarding funds, “Saikia called up one night from Calcutta saying he has found a sponsor. The ITA has agreed,” Choudhury said. Saikia then asked the Machkhowa cultural complex committee to prepare a project report. “Accordingly, we placed the proposal for a Rs 3.35-crore complex along with drawings of the proposed complex.”

Saikia, who was very enthusiastic about the project, laid the foundation stone and work started in full swing in 1993.

“Till 2000, work progressed slowly but smoothly. But after that, not a brick has been laid, nor a nail driven,” Choudhury said. The committee is even ready with a corpus fund of Rs 10 lakh for maintenance of the sprawling complex, which is poised to become the city’s very own Siri Fort.

“Machines have starting rusting. White ants have also invaded some of the wooden fittings. If the delay continues, the dream project will turn into a nightmare,” a source said.