Patna Haat project hangs fire as police yet to vacate its office at site

Patna: The development of ‘Patna Haat’ near Gandhi Maidan, announced by chief minister Nitish Kumar last year, is yet to see the light of the day as the proposed site, west of Sabhyata Dwar, has not been vacated by Patna police.While the state cabinet approved a budget of over Rs 48 crore for the project in 2025, a detailed project report of the haat — to be built on the lines of Delhi Haat in the national capital — is ready, and bidding process has also been completed, the site, where an old office building of Patna police stands as of now, is yet to be vacated.Patna district magistrate (DM) Thiyagrajan S M said they were looking for another building to shift the Patna police office from the proposed site of ‘Patna Haat’.

“We hope to vacate the premises within 15 days,” he said.The haat, to be developed as a hub of traditional arts and crafts, will be built by demolishing the office building.A senior official of Bihar State Tourism Development Corporation Limited, the nodal agency for the project, said the department sent a letter to Patna DM Thiyagrajan and senior superintendent of police Kartikey K Sharma to vacate the old building so that the three-storey haat could be constructed there.

“Action by the authorities concerned is in the final stage, and the old building will be vacated soon,” he said.The emporium building, inspired by Mithila Haat in Madhubani district, will be a three-storey structure with an underground parking. Additionally, there will be space for surface parking. The building will feature two restaurants, beside a range of amenities, including a gaming zone for children and solar power generation system.The haat will showcase the rich heritage of ancient Magadh, featuring a range of traditional art forms, including Madhubani painting, Manjusa painting from Bhagalpur, Tikuli painting from Patna, Sujani craft from Muzaffarpur and north Bihar’s Sikki craft, which uses a special type of grass called Sikki.