RAWALPINDI, Feb 21: The district government has ordered an inquiry into the incomplete construction of the municipal community marriage hall in Kartarpura, Dawn has learnt.

About Rs1.5 million were spent on the marriage hall project initiated in 1988 by the now defunct municipal corporation when Agha Gillani was the mayor of the civic body. Not only the hall was left incomplete, but, whatever construction work was done at the time, was substandard.

The scheme was aimed at constructing a modern type of spacious community hall where people could arrange social gatherings, marriages and other functions. But, as it was left incomplete, it was being used by the cattle-owners before they were driven out of the city. While the structure still exists, many of its walls have been damaged in the last 13 years.

According to sources in the district government, the hall fell prey to some political interference and vested interest and work had to be stopped short of completion. Some sources, however, said largescale embezzlement in the funds allocated for the hall put hurdles in its completion.

The then Rawalpindi Municipal Corporation (RMC) mayor, Agha Gillani, refused to provide more funds for the completion of the hall after financial irregularities were detected.