The Jayaprakash Narayan International Centre (JPNIC), a sprawling convention complex in Lucknow’s Gomti Nagar left locked for almost a decade, has once again become the centre of a political war of words in Uttar Pradesh.
He dramatically offered to take over the centre for “one rupee extra. JPNIC has been one of the most prominent infrastructure projects associated with the previous Samajwadi Party government. The issue has come to the fore once again with assembly elections just six months away.
Samajwadi Party national president Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday hit out at the BJP government in the state and Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) officials for the decision to lease the facility to private players, calling it a deliberate sell-off of a public asset created with taxpayers’ money.
Speaking at a press conference at the party headquarters in Lucknow, Akhilesh Yadav alleged the BJP had “sold JP. He recalled that the foundation stone of the ambitious project was laid in the presence of his father Mulayam Singh Yadav (Samajwadi Party founder), former Union minister George Fernandes and other senior leaders with the vision of creating a world-class public facility. The former chief minister trained his guns on LDA vice chairman Prathmesh Kumar, warning that the officer’s role would be investigated when the SP returned to power. He claimed the building—equipped with state-of-the-art museums, an Olympic-level heated indoor swimming pool, a helipad, an auditorium and vast parking—was leased at what he described as throwaway prices.
The consortium will pay ₹ 831 crore to the LDA for the 35-year lease, according to the proposal approved by the cabinet.
