The moat around Barabati Fort in Cuttack. Picture by Badrika Nath Das

Cuttack, June 30: The municipal corporation is in a fix over completion of the Rs 17-crore integrated Barabati Fort area development project.

The Centre had sanctioned the funds under the Urban Infrastructure Development Scheme for Small and Medium Towns for the project aimed to develop the 12th century fort area into a tourist attraction.

On August 31, 2010, chief minister Naveen Patnaik laid the foundation stone of the project that was scheduled to be over by March 31, 2012.

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), as custodian of the Barabati Fort area, had allowed the Cuttack Municipal Corporation to clean the moat around it for introducing boating facilities as well as converting the vacant lands on all sides into mini parks with water fountains. The ASI was to renovate and restore the stone wall of the moat encircling the 104-acre fort area.

But, the project has made almost no progress. While over Rs 1 crore is spent for clearing weeds, excavation and removal of silt have made no headway for over three years.

“Things at the Gadakhai (as the moat is known locally) have changed a little with an abundant growth of weeds remaining the same,” said Swarupini Patnaik, a Class IX student of Stewart School.

However, the civic body’s public works committee chairman Chiranjay Sahu told The Telegraph: “The project has made no progress due to unwarranted delay in restoration of the moat wall by the ASI. Though Rs 1.5 crore of the central government funds was passed on to the ASI over three years ago, work on the moat wall has not started till now.”

“Clearing the weeds once again is not a problem as excavation and silt removal at the moat has already been completed,” Sahu said.

ASI officials, on the other hand, conceded that there had been inordinate delay in carrying out renovation and restoration of the moat wall. “Starting of work on the Barabati Fort moat wall has not been possible due to procedural formalities and clearances from the ASI headquarters in Delhi,” ASI (Bhubaneswar circle) superintendent Bhuban Vikram said.

Official sources said the committee had reviewed the delay in implementation of the project last week. Later, it had taken up the issue with the ASI officials.