Lucknow: After years of delay and political controversy, the parking facility at Jayaprakash Narayan International Centre (JPNIC) in Lucknow has finally been opened to the public from Tuesday, providing much-needed relief from chronic traffic congestion on LDA Road.
The parking area, with a capacity to accommodate around 500 vehicles, has been made operational by the Lucknow Development Authority (LDA). For now, the facility will remain free of charge, though officials indicated that a user fee may be introduced in the future.
Constructed at a cost exceeding ₹800 crore, the ambitious JPNIC project — once touted as a dream initiative during the tenure of the Samajwadi Party government — has remained largely non-functional since 2017, despite nearly 80 percent of the work being completed before a change in government stalled progress.
The sprawling 18-storey complex, equipped with a sports complex, all-weather swimming pool, museum, courtrooms, helipad, and a 100-room guest house, has remained shut for years. Although the sports complex was inaugurated in 2016, facilities were later closed. The statue of Jayaprakash Narayan stands amid what many describe as a neglected and deteriorating campus.
The project, built by a private real estate firm, is currently under scrutiny for alleged construction irregularities, with investigations ordered during the tenure of the Yogi Adityanath government.
While much of the structure shows visible signs of neglect, including overgrown vegetation and damaged sections, the opening of the parking facility marks the first tangible step toward utilizing the massive infrastructure. Local residents have welcomed the move, expressing hope that it will ease traffic bottlenecks and eventually revive the long-pending project.
For now, public access to JPNIC remains limited to parking, but the development has once again brought the high-profile project back into the spotlight.
