New Delhi: Work on the redevelopment of Pragati Maidan into a sprawling exhibition-cum-convention centre has been started after repeated delays. The state-of-the-art complex is expected to be completed by 2019. The convention centre will be 32.4 metre tall building along with basement parking facility of 4,800 vehicles and comprehensive traffic decongestion interventions.
The redevelopment plan includes creation of a modern convention centre with a seating capacity of 7,000 and the amphitheatre with a capacity of 3,000 people. “There will be altogether 30 meeting rooms of different sizes and capacity and the complete structure of the Centre will be built with a mix of red stone and Dholpur white stone and GFRC,” an official with urban development ministry said.
The exhibition segment of the complex will comprise seven halls with the space of one lakh square metre each and integrated with a food and beverage facility. For easy access, there will be a series of walkways and skywalk that will connect the complex to the pragati Maidan metro station.
The facility with an estimated cost of Rs 2,254 crore will also connect Mathura Road/Purana Quila Road to Ring Road through a six-lane divided tunnel cutting across Pragati Maidan. “It will also make Mathura Road signal free,” the official said.
The entire project, which is being executed by the NBCC, is expected to be completed by 2019 to host G20 summit.
Pragati Maidan hosts global events such as the Indian International Trade Fair, World Book Fair and Petrotech. ITPO, under the commerce ministry, currently runs the exhibition centre inaugurated in 1972 by then prime minister Indira Gandhi.
The official added that the work has been started for the complex after taking all statutory approvals such as layout plan and concept design by Delhi Urban Art Commission (DUAC), National Monuments Authority (NMA), SDMC; layout plan and building plans by fire services department of government of Delhi, traffic Interventions by Unified Traffic and Transportation Infrastructure (Planning & Engineering) Centre in DDA and the environmental clearance from ministry of environment and forest.
