PATNA, July 21 -- The Centre has advised the Airports Authority of India (AAI) to complete all unfinished work of the new integrated terminal building of Patna's Jayprakash Narayan International (JPNI) Airport as early as possible, said officials on Sunday. The directive came in light of the government earning public wrath for showing undue haste in its inauguration, with much work pending, in an election year in Bihar. The Centre's two-member team led by Rubina Ali, joint secretary in the ministry of civil aviation (MoCA), and Nandita Bhat, member (planning) AAI, New Delhi, was in Patna on July 16 to take stock of the unfinished work at the airport terminal, a day after Hindustan Times reported (PMO takes cognizance of slipshod work at Patna's new terminal) in its Patna edition on July 15, listing a host of unfinished work, and a social media post on X, referring to the haste in the inauguration of the new terminal building in election year in Bihar. PM Modi had inaugurated the new terminal on May 29 and the building was operationalised on June 3, despite much work pending. Assembly elections in Bihar are scheduled later this year. It will take another three months to complete all pending work related to the terminal building, while construction of the other four aerobridges, in addition to the one existing, is expected by November, said officials. An estimated Rs.1,030 crore has been spent against an estimated project cost of Rs.1,200 crore for the three-level integrated terminal building. The PMO query on July 1 had triggered a knee-jerk reaction in the MoCA that had a cascading effect in the AAI, ruffling some feathers and prompting the latter to Issue show-cause notices to two senior airport officers, who were posted at Patna around five months back, making them scapegoats in the whole episode. Sensitive about negative publicity, Nivedita Dubey, AAI regional executive director, eastern region, Kolkata, also sought to draw an iron-curtain on officials interacting with mediapersons, when she recently reminded them that barring the Patna airport director, none should interact with the media, said people aware of the matter. Patna airport director was not available for comments on Sunday. Air traffic management in-charge and the officer deputising for the airport director, did not respond to this reporter's phone calls or text message. The Central team also saw the progress of construction of a civil enclave at Bihta airport, approx 30 kms to the west of the existing Patna airport. The Bihar government has transferred to AAI total 116 acre land at Bihta in two parts of 108 acres and 8 acres for construction of a civil enclave at an estimated cost of Rs.460 crore. The transfer of the last 8-acre land was done in March. Earth excavation for foundation of the terminal building was now being done at the Bihta airport, a defence aerodrome. Casting and concreting work will be taken up after monsoon. The constructions of the apron area to accommodate 10 Airbus 321 aircraft; link taxiway, connecting the runway with apron; five aerobridges, baggage handling system inside the civil enclave, multi-level car parking, and staff quarters, will be done additionally through separate tenders. The Centre has approved Rs.1,413 crore as the overall estimated project cost, including construction of the civil enclave, for Bihta airport with a completion deadline of March 31, 2027....