The ultimatum was served following a visit of the technical committee
of BMC to the site on Wednesday. BMC officials have also asked the
private developer to furnish necessary documents relating to building
approval plan (original and revised) and other test-certificates.

“The developer has assured us to hand over possession by July.
Construction work is almost complete,” said BMC’s executive engineer
(division-II) Ashok Kumar Parida.

Surprisingly, the proposed market complex on nearly two lakh square
feet built-up area has been under construction for the past 12 years.

“Work for the PPP project started in 2001,” Parida said. But he could not cite any reason for the delay.

Sources said the BMC secured the government’s permission to build the
market complex in the 883 decimal land in July 1998. The civic body
signed an agreement with the private developer to construct the complex
in February 1999, following which, construction work took off in 2011.

According to the deal, the builder would get 65% of the shops and BMC
35%. The BMC had given the developer time till 2007 to complete the
project.

However, about 86 displaced vendors of Unit-IV had
thrown spanner in the construction work and moved the Orissa high court
in 2002. Work resumed after the matter ended on a compromise. The
vendors were assured that they would be given space in the market
complex. At present, they have been running their business from small
kiosks near the fish market in Unit-IV.

Sources in the
municipal corporation revealed that the construction work was further
delayed owing to a dispute between the civic body and builder over
sharing of the property.

“The builder had in 2010 completed
some portions of the complex and wanted to sell its share of the
property. BMC opposed the move and asked the developer to sell its share
only after completion of the whole building,” an officer said.