Hakim, Amit Mitra inspect model for proposed convention centre

State Urban development minister Firhad Hakim and Finance minister Amit Mitra inspected the model of the proposed convention centre which is being displayed at the 3rd edition of Bengal Global Business Summit.

The Biswa Bangal Convention centre is a venture of Housing Infrastructure Development Corporation (HIDCO). Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had urged HIDCO officials to set up a centre to showcase the best of Bengal to the world.

The proposed centre is coming up at New Town and is the biggest of its kind in eastern India. It is likely to be inaugurated in June. It may be recalled that in September Hakim had visited the site of the proposed centre accompanied by the senior officials of Housing Infrastructure Development Corporation (HIDCO) and encouraged the workers and the engineers. Trinamool Congress MP Derek O' Brein also inspected the model and expressed satisfaction. "It is one of the finest architecture," he said.

The convention centre will have a 3000 capacity auditorium, the biggest in Bengal. There will be 100 guest rooms, banquet halls, a library and a gymnasium. The management will be done by a firm whose selection is underway.

The centre is situated close to Eco Park, the new tourist destination renamed as Prakriti Tirtha by the Chief Minister. The stretch on Bagjola canal flowing beside the centre is being upgraded. The bank has been developed and benches and umbrellas have been put up for the visitors. A floating jetty will be set up by the state Irrigation and Waterways department. Rabindra Tirtha and Nazrul Tirtha, two cultural centres are situated close by. New Town is fast coming up as the future destination with legal and economic, heath, I-T and education hubs coming up. The two day BGBS in 2018 will be held at the centre.