Cuttack, Dec. 10: The civic body has begun work on an amusement and recreational zone with a park and water sports facilities around the public convenience-cum-interpretation centre near the Netaji Birthplace Museum here.

The state tourism department had earlier built the centre for Rs 1.4 crore.

"The tourism department has already sanctioned an additional Rs 50 lakh for further infrastructure development of the project area," said municipal commissioner Gyana Das.

The centre will have facilities to give visitors a glimpse into the life and times of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and also hold conferences and meetings.

Kiosks and memorabilia shops would also be set up inside. Toilets, lavatories and other basic amenities would be provided for visitors, along with a park around it.

"We have finalised the blueprint. The centre will be named after Netaji. It will be ready for formal inauguration on the occasion of his 120th birth anniversary on January 23, 2017," Das said.

Earlier, a circular auditorium for the centre had been built under the tourism department's plans to transform the area surrounding the museum into a recreational zone and position it as a major tourist destination.

The Centre had sanctioned Rs 2.36 crore for the project. Chief minister Naveen Patnaik had laid the foundation stone for the project on Bose's birth anniversary in 2011.

As part of the project, the Ganga Mandir Tank adjacent to the museum had also been refurbished with concrete packing.

"We have handed over the centre to the Cuttack Municipal Corporation to develop its infrastructure and manage it," said state tourism department's assistant director (projects) B.K. Bhanja.

Ganga Mandir resident Sivacharan Bose said: "It's a positive decision as the building had been reeling from lack of maintenance. Proper manpower deployment is essential to keep it free from criminal activities after sunset."

"The facility will be of great convenience for visitors who visit the museum," said curator J.P. Das.