Centre Approves Rs 50 Cr For Moshi Convention Centre
(TOI, Oct 27, 2010)
PUNE: The Union government has cleared Rs 50 crore of the total grant of Rs 100 crore for the upcoming international convention centre, being built by the Pimpri-Chinchwad New Township Development Authority at Moshi.
Divisional commissioner Dilip Band, who is also chairman of the PCNTDA, said, “The Central government and the PCNTDA will contribute Rs 100 crore each for the project. The project will be implemented through a special purpose vehicle”.
Band and the urban development department secretary are chairmen of the SPV, with Suhas Divse, chief executive officer, PCNTDA, and secretary of department of industries and Mahratta Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture as members. Pimpri-Chinchwad municipal commissioner Ashish Sharma is the member secretary.
Band said a presentation of the draft design of the convention centre will be made before chief minister Ashok Chavan on November 17. The actual construction of the project is expected to start within six months.
Divse said, “The total area of the international convention centre will be 1 lakh sq mt, which will be one of the largest such centres in Asia. There will be seven independent halls and one convention centre with an exhibition hall. Hotels, retail space, commercial space, open exhibition space, studio apartments and a nine-hole golf course are other features.”
Divse said in the first phase, a convention centre and exhibition hall will be developed with some infrastructure. The PCNTDA has made a provision of Rs 50 crore for it, while another Rs 50 crore will be sought from the Union government. The first phase will be completed in two years, while the entire project is expected to be completed in seven to eight years.
Pimpri-Chinchwad is an industrial township, but there are no exhibition halls for holding national- and international-level exhibitions. Hence, a decision was taken by Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation and the PCNTDA to build an exhibition and convention centre at Moshi. An American firm Alliance-BBG, which has been selected architect for the project, has prepared the draft design.
