India, Sept. 3 -- LUCKNOW Is the Jayaprakash Narayan International Centre (JPNIC) ready for use after the state government decided to hand over the nearly decade-old project to a private consortium? HT's visit to the 17-storey complex on Wednesday found the answer inside the building: the project remains far from ready, with several works still incomplete.

While the exterior of the Rs.864-crore project gives an impression of a completed landmark, its interiors tell a different story. Non-functional lifts, incomplete electrical work, broken tiles, damaged wiring, water seepage, unfinished rooms, a neglected swimming pool and missing equipment have left several parts of the centre unusable.

Officials familiar with the project estimate tha...