6 days ago
Unfinished JPNIC in Lucknow Moves to Private Operator
The Jayaprakash Narayan International Centre in Lucknow was planned as a large place for meetings, sports and culture.
It was started when Akhilesh Yadav was chief minister but was never fully completed.
The government says about Rs 821 crore has already been spent on it.
Finishing the building could cost another Rs 200-250 crore.
Instead of spending that money itself, the government will let a private group complete and operate the centre.
The group must finish the work within two years.
It will run the hotel, parking area, convention centre, auditorium and sports facilities for 35 years.
The museum about Jayaprakash Narayan will remain with the Lucknow Development Authority.
The project has also become part of a political dispute between the Samajwadi Party and the BJP government.
The Uttar Pradesh Cabinet approved leasing JPNIC in Lucknow to a private consortium for 35 years.
The centre, conceived during Akhilesh Yadav’s tenure, has remained unfinished since the Samajwadi Party lost power in 2017.
Government expenditure on the project is reported at about Rs 821 crore, while completing it may require another Rs 200-250 crore.
Vrindavan Bottlers and Rockwood Hotels & Resorts must finish the works within two years and operate the centre.
The consortium will run the hotel, parking facility, convention centre, auditorium and sports facilities, while the museum remains under LDA control.
- Who
- The Uttar Pradesh Cabinet, the Lucknow Development Authority, and the Vrindavan Bottlers-Rockwood Hotels & Resorts consortium are involved; the project was conceived during Akhilesh Yadav’s tenure.
- What
- JPNIC will be completed and operated by a private consortium under a 35-year lease.
- Where
- The centre is located in Gomti Nagar, Lucknow, adjacent to Ram Manohar Lohia Park.
- When
- The Cabinet approved the proposal after a global tender floated in March 2026; the consortium must begin operations within two years of receiving the Letter of Acceptance.
- Why
- The government says the lease will avoid the estimated Rs 200-250 crore completion cost and reduce the LDA’s future operating and maintenance burden.
Samajwadi Party and Akhilesh Yadav
BJP Government
Why the project remains unfinished
Samajwadi Party and Akhilesh Yadav
Akhilesh Yadav has accused the BJP government of deliberately keeping JPNIC shut despite the money already spent on it.
BJP Government
The BJP government ordered an inquiry after construction stalled and raised questions about the project’s construction, contracts and expenditure.
Use of public money
Samajwadi Party and Akhilesh Yadav
The project was conceived as a public convention, sports and cultural centre during the previous Samajwadi Party government.
BJP Government
Yogi Adityanath has cited JPNIC as an example of alleged misuse of public money, noting that spending reportedly rose from an initial Rs 200 crore estimate to Rs 821 crore while the building remained incomplete.
Private lease solution
Samajwadi Party and Akhilesh Yadav
The project’s political history has made the decision to transfer major facilities to a private operator contentious for the Samajwadi Party.
BJP Government
The government presents the lease as a way to complete JPNIC without the LDA paying the additional Rs 200-250 crore and to shift operating responsibilities to the consortium.
Key facts
- Lease period
- 35 years
- Reported expenditure
- About Rs 821 crore; the original estimate was about Rs 200 crore
- Estimated completion cost
- Rs 200-250 crore
- Successful consortium
- Vrindavan Bottlers and Rockwood Hotels & Resorts
- Completion deadline
- Two years after the Letter of Acceptance
- Annual lease payment
- Rs 6 crore initially, increasing by 5% annually
- Facilities
- 108-room hotel, parking for about 750 vehicles, convention centre, auditorium and sports facilities
Quotes
Yogi Adityanath
Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh and leader of the BJP-led state government
“The Saifai family had looted public money. The JPNIC that the SP was constructing was estimated to cost Rs 200 crore, but even after spending Rs 821 crore, the building remained incomplete.”
indianexpress.com
Sources
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