Excelsior Correspondent
NEW DELHI, Aug 16: The Union Capital of Delhi will soon have the first-of-its-kind, exclusive “Northeast Convention cum Culture Center” with state-of-the-art facility.
Announcing this here today at a media briefing, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh described it as an “Independence Day gift” for the people of Northeast and said that a piece of land measuring 1.32 acre (5341.75 sq. mtrs) was acquired from Delhi Development Authority (DDA) by North-Eastern Council (NEC) of Ministry of DoNER on 14th of August, on the eve of the completion of 70 years of India’s independence. The land, he said, is located in the prime location of Sector-13 in Dwarka, New Delhi and a sum of Rs. 6,43,09,574.00 was paid to the DDA as the cost.
Elaborating further, Dr Jitendra Singh said, the plan is to construct a five or six-storeyed complex over a built-up area of more than 12,000 sq. mtrs., the estimated cost of which would be around Rs. 55 crores. The construction is likely to be completed in the next two to three years, he said.
In addition to this, Dr Jitendra Singh informed that another piece of land to construct a hostel for the students of North-Eastern States is also in the process of being allotted to DoNER Ministry by DDA at Rohini in New Delhi, very soon.
Exuding enthusiasm over this new initiative, Dr Jitendra Singh said, the complex to be developed in Dwarka will act as a cultural hub of North-Eastern region in the Union Capital of Delhi. Apart from being Culture and Information Centre, it will also have a Conventional Centre and an International Guest House which will cater to eminent persons, including authors, artists and scholars, from Northeast. In addition, he said, the Centre will also have a library-cum-reading room, an art gallery showcasing the Northeast, a centre for promoting Northeast tourism and a Business Centre for promoting indigenous products from the eight States of the North-Eastern region.
Dr Jitendra Singh said, it is a matter of pride that within the last one and a half year, we have started construction of exclusive Northeast Hostel in the campus of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and we have set up a four-stall exclusive Northeast outlet called “Purbashree” in Dilli Haat. An exclusive Northeast Food Point has also been started in Dilli Haat and these two upcoming complexes, one at Dwarka and the other at Rohini, will make the presence of Northeast vibrant all over Delhi.
Dr Jitendra Singh said, he had always held the belief that instead of making people of Northeast familiar with the rest of India, it is the people in rest of India who ought to know the Northeast better. He referred to the construction of a Northeast hostel in the campus of Bangalore University undertaken since last year by the Ministry of DoNER and a chain of “Destination Northeast” festivals held at different venues across the country.
The positive outcome of this proactive approach, he said, is that we had a huge influx of tourists this season and at certain destinations like Gangtok in Sikkim and Shillong in Meghalaya, there came a stage when tourists had to be requested to postpone their visit because of heavy rush with no accommodation available even for home stay. Similarly, new groups of investors and Startups have also started heading for Northeast in the last one year or so, he added.
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