Bhopal Ravindra Convention Centre Runs Up ₹ 12 Crore Repair Bill

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): At least Rs 12 crore have been spent on repairs of just four-year-old Ravindra Convention Centre in the city. Costing Rs 48 crore, the Convention Centre was inaugurated on Jan 26, 2022. Since then, Rs 12 crore have been spent on repairs.

The Convention Centre, which houses the biggest auditorium in Madhya Pradesh with a seating capacity of 1,500, was inaugurated by Governor Mangubhai Patel and the then chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Republic Day in 2022. Its foundation stone was laid on Nov 1, 2015 and it was scheduled to be ready by November 2018 at a cost of Rs 33 crore. However, it took four years more for the construction to be completed and the cost went up to Rs 48 crore. The project was executed by the Project Implementation Unit (PIU) of the PWD.

Within two years of its inauguration, the Centre s roof began leaking, rainwater began seeping into the walls and panels of false ceiling came off at many places. The stone and marble sculptures placed in the garden of the centre - prepared by artists at a special camp - also lost their charm for want of proper maintenance. For want of platforms, they were placed on the uneven ground and their detachable parts were removed lest they fall off and break.

Spread over 11,821 sq metres, the Centre has state-of-the-art facilities for holding conferences, conventions, seminars, meetings, lectures and cultural performances, including mini auditorium, banquet hall, rehearsal rooms, audio and video recording studios, food court, art gallery, library etc.

According to sources, Rs 6 crore was spent on repairs of the building last year. And this year again, an equal sum has been sanctioned for the same.