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JPNIC: From 2017 to 2027 build-up, a project mired in controversy
Boasting of big-ticket amenities, including Olympic-standard pool, rooftop helipad and over 100 rooms, the facility is once again attracting political attention in the run-up to the polls after the UP cabinet’s decision to transfer it on lease to a private consortium
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Planned as one of Lucknow’s most ambitious public infrastructure projects, the 17-floor Jayaprakash Narayan International Centre (JPNIC) with proposed big-ticket facilities, including a rooftop helipad, all-weather Olympic-standard pool, over 100 rooms, international-level sports, convention, hospitality and recreational amenities has been mired in controversy since a change of guard in the state in 2017 and stands incomplete for a decade.
With the state cabinet deciding to transfer the project, named after freedom fighter and socialist leader Jayaprakash Narayan, on a 35-year lease to a private consortium, the renewed effort to make the facility operational has attracted political attention once again just about six months before the 2027 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections.
Spread across nearly 20 acres, the ₹864 crore project is located next to Lohia Park, named after another prominent freedom fighter and socialist leader, Dr Ram Manohar Lohia.
The project, which began taking shape in 2014 after receiving sanction in 2013, is now once again moving towards completion.
The state cabinet on August 25 approved the proposal to lease JPNIC to a private consortium, with the consortium of Vrindavan Bottlers and Rockwood Hotels selected through open bidding to operate the centre.
The consortium will have to complete the unfinished works at its own expense and start operations within two years.
FROM FLAGSHIP PROJECT TO STALLED COMPLEX
Construction began in 2014, but the project ran into delays and eventually came to a halt in 2017.
According to an LDA official, the centre remained non-functional for nearly 10 years. Cost escalation and administrative delays contributed to the prolonged stoppage, while neglect and theft of materials also affected the unfinished premises.
The LDA has already released around ₹821 crore for the project, leaving the authority with the challenge of ensuring that the massive investment translates into a functional public facility.
Jayaprakash Narayan, popularly known as Lok Nayak, was a prominent freedom fighter, socialist leader and political activist who played an important role in the Quit India Movement. Decades later, he emerged as one of the leading figures of the movement against the Emergency imposed in 1975.
His call for “Sampoorna Kranti”, or total revolution, sought sweeping political and social reforms.
JPNIC SOCIETY DISSOLVED ON JULY 3, 2025
The JPNIC (Jayaprakash Narayan International Centre) Society was dissolved on July 3, 2025, when the Uttar Pradesh cabinet approved a proposal to hand over the stalled project’s management to the Lucknow Development Authority (LDA). The Society was formed to administer, manage, and oversee the construction, operation, and maintenance of the JPNIC project in Lucknow.
₹200 CR-250 CR WORKS STILL PENDING
Despite ₹821 crore having already been released, several works remain incomplete. The estimated cost of completing the outstanding works is between ₹200 crore and ₹250 crore.
Pending works include seating arrangements in the sports complex, finishing the gym and VVIP rooms, cafeteria work and completion of the hotel block. Fire-retardant paint also needs to be applied to MS (mild steel) structures following recommendations from IIT Kanpur.
The project also requires completion of guest house facilities, including hot-water supply, generators, chimneys and the HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) plant room.
Additional chiller plants and ventilation systems have to be installed, while revisions are required in wiring, CCTV, fire alarms and the synchronisation of solar and generator systems. Swimming pool systems, including heat pumps and accessories, also need completion.
PRIVATE OPERATOR TO BEAR REMAINING COST
Under the newly approved arrangement, the selected consortium will undertake the remaining works at its own expense. It will also deposit a ₹25-crore performance guarantee with the LDA and pay ₹10.11 crore to the authority after receiving the letter of acceptance.
Once JPNIC becomes operational, the consortium will pay ₹6 crore annually to the LDA. The payment will rise by 5% every year and is expected to reach around ₹35 crore annually towards the end of the lease.
The project had cost around ₹821 crore and the authority would repay the amount to the government over 30 years. The long-term lease, he said, would help complete the remaining works, maintain the facility and ensure its effective operation while generating revenue for the authority.
REVIVAL FOLLOWS TRANSFER OF PROJECT TO LDA
The latest revival effort followed the state government’s decision to transfer control of JPNIC to the LDA on July 3, 2025. The authority subsequently worked on a proposal to bring in a private operator and revive the stalled complex.
The LDA submitted its proposal for revival in July 2026, following the earlier process of seeking government approval for private operation. The cabinet’s August 25 decision has now cleared the way for implementation of the lease arrangement.
