The pandemic and the stressed finances of the state exchequer seem to have derailed two pet projects of Mamata Banerjee in Calcutta.

The first project is a 2,400 seater indoor auditorium in Alipore, named Dhana Dhannye, scheduled for June 2019.

As the deadline for the project, estimated at a cost of Rs 291.36 crore, was missed, authorities set a new deadline of December 2021.

But the new deadline is also likely to be missed. “It appears almost impossible as physical progress of the project is about 68 per cent. Within next two months, it does not appear that the project can be over,” said an official.

The second project, a G+6 multilayer car parking with office space and food court in Alipore, also missed its March 2021 deadline. Now, authorities have fixed a new deadline of March 2022.

However, physical progress of the project is only 35 percent and it is unlikely that the project will be complete in the next five months, said a source.

“The delay in these projects is indeed rare as both were the brainchild of the chief minister,” the source added.

According officials, an internal report of the PWD cited Covid19 pandemic caused the delay for both projects.

“There was a problem in getting labourers and several curbs had to be followed after the nationwide lockdown. All these caused delay and projects missed deadlines,” said a source.

Some officials said the stressed state coffers could cause the projects further trouble.

For Dhana Dhannye, the cumulative financial progress is 56.7 per cent.

“This means, the state has to release the rest 43 per cent of Rs 291.36 crore immediately if the project has to be completed by December this year. But that would be a real challenge given the financial condition of the state after several welfare schemes including Lakshmir Bhandar were rolled out in recent months,” said an official.

The picture is no different for the multilayer car park as its financial progress is only 20.04 per cent.

“Allotment of funds remains a problem as a demand of Rs 3 crore was sent to Nabanna a month ago and that’s yet to be cleared. It seems unlikely that remaining 80 per cent of project cost would be released in the next five months,” said another official.