New Delhi convention centre faces delays
The NDA government’s project to build a world-class Integrated Exhibition-cum-Convention Centre (IECC) at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi is facing delays, despite being closely monitored by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).
Two crucial steps — the appointment of an architectural consultant by state-owned construction firm NBCC and the approval for the proposed project by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) — have missed the March deadline, official sources told. The pre-CCEA body, called the Public Investment Board, had already approved the IECC project.
Mega events
Sources said the PMO had taken interest in the project as Prime Minister Narendra Modi was keen that India, and more importantly New Delhi, should have a ‘state-of-the-art and iconic’ IECC that could attract investors from across the world and host mega events.
Mr. Modi had pointed out in internal meetings that India wasyet to have an IECC like in China (Shanghai) and Germany (Hannover). The NDA government is also trying to expedite the processes to set up a similar IECC at Dwarka in Delhi.
The Centre had set a deadline of March 2020 for completion of the IECC project at Pragati Maidan and estimated that it would cost Rs.2,254 crore.
The total exhibition space envisaged was 1.6 lakh square metres. The project includes a convention centre with seating facility for 7,000 people, a parking space for 4,800 cars and facilities to showcase India’s heritage and culture. A detailed presentation on the project was made by the Commerce Ministry before the Prime Minister in December 2015.
Largest centre
The Pragati Maidan complex, with a total area of around 124 acres, was chosen as the site for the IECC as the exhibition complex situated there is the country’s largest exhibition centre in terms of space and the number of events held.
Also, the national capital region is India’s largest conventions market. Besides, Indian Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) — the Commerce Ministry’s trade promotion agency — owns and manages the exhibition complex. The project development was assigned to NBCC.
An ITPO official requesting anonymity said ITPO had been actively pursuing the project and added that a reason for the delay was the complex procedure involved in obtaining the CCEA approval. Commerce Ministry sources, however, said the Finance Ministry wouldsoon approve the CCEA note, after which it would be forwarded to the Cabinet Secretariat.
Tender recall
On the delay in engaging the architectural consultant by NBCC, a senior NBCC official said though a tender was issued in this regard, it had to be recalled due to technical reasons and then re-issued. The official said NBCC is currently evaluating technical bids and will soon consider concept presentations. A consultant will be selected by early September, the official said, adding that the chosen consultant would submit a Detailed Project Report (DPR) by January 2017. As per the original deadline, the DPR was to be prepared by September 2016 and the statutory approvals were to be in place by March 2017.
The government had in March said that the global Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, Exhibitions (MICE) market, which supports four lakh conferences and exhibitions, is worth about $280 billion and is a significant economic driver for many nations. The Asian MICE market is estimated at $60 billion.
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