Stalled science centre project in Ambala set to resume soon

The long-delayed Regional Science Centre project in Ambala is expected to resume soon, with authorities preparing to award a fresh tender for the balance work within this month, officials said.

The project, launched in 2019, has seen only 25% of the work completed so far. Slated for completion within three years, the ambitious science hub came to a standstill in 2022 due to construction deficiencies, legal disputes and arbitration proceedings between the contractor and the Public Works Department (Buildings & Roads).

“Around 25 per cent work was completed and the project came to a standstill in 2022. After the agreement of the previous firm was terminated, a fresh tender for the balance work of Rs 11.50 crore was floated. The tender has been opened and it will be allotted to the new agency in 15 days. The agency will get a period of 18 months to complete the work,” a senior official from the PWD (B&R) said.

The five-acre facility, located along National Highway-44, was envisioned as a centre of excellence in science education and innovation, built through a collaboration between the National Council of Science Museums and the Haryana Science and Technology Department. The overall project budget is pegged at around Rs 36 crore, including civil, electrical and allied works.

The proposed science centre will house cutting-edge facilities, including planetarium, science park and thematic galleries, innovation hub and exhibit development lab, 270-degree immersive projection hall and science-on-sphere show, flight simulator and virtual reality theatre.