New Delhi: In view of a surge in COVID-19 cases, the Chhattisgarh government on Thursday cancelled tenders for the construction of the new assembly building and also stopped work on major projects in the state.
It has also decided to take more stringent measures to prevent the infection from spreading.
Construction work of the new governor's house, assembly house, chief minister's house, residences of ministers and senior officers, new circuit house in the 'Nava Raipur' area (New Raipur) has now been stopped with immediate effect, a statement issued by the state government said.
The 'bhoomi pujan' (ground breaking ceremony) for these works was done on November 25, 2019.
"Our citizens - our priority. Foundation stone for the construction of new assembly building, Raj Bhavan, Chief Minister's residence, residence of ministers and senior officials, new circuit house was laid before start of Corona. Today, all these construction works have been stopped in these times of crisis," Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel tweeted.
Chhattisgarh has 1,22,798 active COVID-19 cases, while the cumulative number of deaths in the state stands at 11,094, according to the Union health ministry.
The statement said that "the state government instructed all departments on April 26 that, like the previous year, austerity should be exercised in the financial year 2021-22".
"Now, even further, on the instructions of Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, the major construction works in Nava Raipur have been stopped with immediate effect," it said.
The chief engineer of the Public Works Department has issued orders to contractors to stop construction work on these projects, the statement said.
It said that along with this, "the previously issued tenders for the construction of -- Rs 245.16 crore and Rs 118 crore -- works for the construction of the new assembly building in Sector-19 have been cancelled with immediate effect".
The BJP has attacked the Congress over the construction of the new assembly and chief minister's residence in Chhattisgarh, after the opposition party hit out at the Modi government for carrying on the construction of the Central Vista project in Delhi.