The Times of India 10.08.2012
New Town to get country’s biggest convention centre
KOLKATA: The city will soon get two Science City-like convention
centers, one in Rajarhat New Town and the other in Alipore. The New Town
centre will be one of the biggest in the country, chief minister Mamata Banerjee said at a programme in Rajarhat on Tuesday.
The Housing Infrastructure Development Corporation
(Hidco) has chalked out the artistic impression for the New Town
project, which will have a seating capacity of about 6,000-odd people.
The centre will come up on a 10-acre plot in Rajarhat’s Action Area II.
According to plans, there will be a plenary hall and two other halls
along with adjustable seating arrangements. The convention centre will
also have a business and media centre, a documentation hall and a
studio. Besides, it will have other support facilities like a VIP
lounge, a guest house, a library and a cafeteria along with a parking
area for about 1,000 cars.
“The centre will be one of the
biggest in the country. We have just started working on the project
plan. We will discuss the project in detail at our next board meeting,”
said Hidco chairman-cum-managing director Debashis Sen. The project cost
and other details will be worked out soon.
The second centre, much smaller but equally attractive, will come up at Alipore as the Dhana Dhanya cultural complex. The state government
has decided to set up this centre to commemorate Dwijendralal Roy’s
150th birth anniversary this year. A 3-acre plot has been identified
beside the South 24-Parganas district magistrate’s bungalow. An
auditorium on the lines of Science City
will be set up in it. There will also be proper parking lots. The
government is chalking out a detailed plan on the auditorium’s seating
capacity and its architectural design.
Both centers will be
commercially used for social and cultural programmes. The convention
centre in Rajarhat will be used for international seminars and
conferences.
At present, the convention centre inside the
Science City complex has a grand theatre hall with a seating capacity of
2,232. The one at Rabindrasadan has a seating capacity for 1,101
spectator.