After three years, the state’s department of culture has decided to revive the Centre’s Multi-purpose Cultural Centre Project at Greater Noida.

The construction of the Centre was stopped midway in November 2007, when the state failed to pay its share of funds. So the Centre, which had already made the first tranche of payment, refused to pay any more. But now, the government is ready to make its own share of the payment and has approached the Centre for the payment of its share. Secretary (culture) Avanish Awasthi said: “We have held talks with the Government of India and we have been assured that the second instalment of the Central share will also come soon. From our side, we are releasing the money at the earliest. We are trying to complete the centre by October.” The files have been dug out and visits to New Delhi made to ensure quick disbursal of the second tranche of the Centre’s share.

In Lucknow, the department is trying to release the state’s share at the earliest. In 2005-06, the state government got the Centre’s approval for building Multi-purpose Cultural Centres in different parts of the state. The centres were supposed to have auditoriums for cultural performances, libraries, musuems and offices for culture department officials — all under one roof.

The objective was to showcase the cultural heritage of particular regions and promote it through organising art performances. Each centre was to be constructed at a budget of Rs 2 crore — the cost was to be shared 50-50 between Centre and state. The state government had sent proposals to construct centres in Agra, Mathura, Ayodhya, Etawah, Varanasi and Greater Noida. Of these, the Union government gave approval for centres in Varanasi and Greater Noida. While the Varanasi centre was completed in 2007, the one in Greater Noida had to be stopped midway.