BHUBANESWAR: Odisha government may have claimed to be going all out for industrialisation and facilitating entrepreneurs, but an International Convention Centre-cum-Trade Zone here that would have promoted global networking and brought foreign investment is yet to see the light of day even after 15 years of being proposed.
The Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (IDCO) has already spent Rs 14 crore towards consultancy fees and other related expenses. But the project has been inordinately delayed as a suitable site is yet to be finalised.The project was conceived in 2006 after the then vice chairman of World Trade Centre (WTC), Mumbai, had requested Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for establishment of WTC at Bhubaneswar to give international visibility to the industrial potential of the State.
While inaugurating the WTC’s branch office in Bhubaneswar in 2014, Naveen had announced that the construction of WTC would be completed in three years to facilitate interactions among global and local traders. Already seven years have passed since then, and there has been no tangible progress in the project.
Sources said the convention centre-cum-trade zone was proposed by the government at a cost of Rs 300 crore to cater to the demand of meetings, incentives, convention and exhibitions (MICE) segment of Bhubaneswar. Accordingly, IDCO had appointed the four agencies for providing different consulting services required for establishment of the convention centre-cum-trade zone (CTZ) at Bhubaneswar.
Though IDCO has identified four locations - Janata Maidan, Info Valley, Satya Nagar and unused land of IMMT and OUAT for the proposed project, a suitable piece of land is yet to be selected. It was found that three land parcels were not centrally-located and lacked in hospitality sector, which is an essential factor for such an establishment.
Since the trade centre would house plenary hall of 2,500 capacity, meeting halls of 1,000 capacity and 500 capacity, small conference rooms/business centres, indoor exhibition hall of 40,000 square feet on the ground floor, outdoor exhibition / congregation space for 25,000 30,000 people and adequate car parking with support infrastructure of four-star hotel facility, it needs to be centrally located.
Meanwhile, IDCO has discussed with chairman, OMC and Principal Secretary of Steel and Mines Department to obtain approval for ‘Janata Maidan’ land from the State government and finalise the funding pattern.
As the Janata Maidan land is with BDA, the GA department has been urged to go for a joint inspection and demarcation of the land in favour of IDCO. The government is also planning to allow OMC and IDCO to form SPV and jointly fund the project.Admitting that the project has been delayed due to land issues, IDCO Managing Director Bhupendra Singh Poonia said the discussion is on to finalise the location at the earliest.