By Our Correspondent
NEW DELHI: Union Minister of Railways & Commerce & Industry Piyush Goyal on Saturday reviewed the progress of construction activities at Pragati Maidan in Delhi which is being redeveloped into a world class Integrated Exhibition-cum-Convention Centre (IECC). Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs H.S.Puri, Principal Advisor to the Prime Minister, PK Sinha, Officers from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, ITPO, NBCC, and other agencies involved in the activity took part in the virtual meeting.
After going through the presentations and videos on the status of the construction activities, Goyal expressed satisfaction over the progress, as all the critical activities are under control. Construction activities, which had suffered earlier due to lockdown and subsequent migration of labour, gained momentum in June, and the same is being maintained. About 4800 workers are presently engaged in various activities at the site. Most of the buildings are likely to be completed by March 2021.
The handing over of the buildings is likely to begin soon in a phased manner, and the complete project is likely to be handed over by October, 2021. The site will have 6 underpasses and a main tunnel for smooth movement of traffic in the region. The AC system shall be Covid-19 pliant, there will be adequate availability of power, the buildings will be leak-proof and the drainage system will ensure no waterlogging under any circumstance. As part of the Aatamnirbhar Abhiyan, the imported element in the project is being continuously reduced, and it presently stands at just 9.55% of the project cost.
The redevelopment of Pragati Maidan as a modern, up-to- date centre for holding global conferences and exhibitions , will include creation of a modern Convention Center with seating capacity of 7,000 persons. India is expected to host G-20 Summit in 2022, and this IECC will the main venue for the same.
