The Arjun Munda government has shelved the proposal to build a new capital called greater Ranchi at a cost of around Rs 15,000 crore (Rs 150 billion).
A new state Assembly, secretariat, governor's residence and chief ministers' complex along with infrastructure was porposed to be located in two villages near Ranchi town.
The development would lead to termination of the state's agreement with the Malaysian government-owned Construction and Infrastructure Development Board. Former chief minister Babulal Marandi had roped in CIDB for the job.
On Marandi's invitation, an eight-member team led by CIDB came to Ranchi to study the Greater Ranchi area and identified ares for the State assembly, Secretariat, Governor House, chief minister's residence etc.
Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani therafter laid the foundation stone of the Assembly on Jharkhand Establishment Day in 2002.
State building and construction minister Raghubar Das who had served under Marandi too, said, "Nothing like greater Ranchi going to come up. I have not seen support for the project so far. The building construction department (BCD) and urban development department in Jharkhand were in the dark."
Das said he had gone through architectural designs presented by four bidders selected out of 11 bidders who took part in the global tender for Greater Ranchi including state Assembly, chief ministers' complex, secretariat and governor's house.
The buildings designed would cost upto Rs 300 crore (Rs 3 boillion) to erect.
