The MCG had prepared a plan to construct a state-of-the-art cultural complex in Gurugram in 2012. However, the project was delayed all these years due to technical reasons.
Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar
Gurugram will get its own high-brow convention centre cum cultural complex, on the lines of the India Habitat Centre (IHC) in New Delhi, soon.
Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Sunday gave the go ahead for setting up of such a complex, after the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) made a formal presentation. A consultant of MCG maintained that there was a strong felt need for such a convention centre, especially after the closure of Epicentre, a prominent cultural hub of the city in December 2016.
The proposed center would host conventions, exhibitions and cultural performances.
The MCG had prepared a plan to construct a state-of-the-art cultural complex in the city in 2012. However, the project was delayed all these years due to technical reasons.
Khattar spent over an hour at the cultural complex presentation, in the presence of top officials of the Haryana government and the MCG at the PWD rest house, and later gave his consent. Kavita Jain, state minister for art and culture, DS Dhesi, state chief secretary and Rajesh Khullar, special principal secretary to the chief minister were among those present.
Khattar later said, “the cultural complex will be built in two phases. It will have two auditoriums with seating capacities of 1,600 and 400 respectively. It will be built on the basis of a public-private partnership model. It will be a welcome landmark for the city.”
“Since the Epicentre closed, we had no option but rush to Mandi House, India International Centre, India Habitat Centre to showcase our talents,” Aditya Arya, a noted photojournalist, said adding that he is relieved that the city will soon get a new cultural centre.
A 10- acre plot has been earmarked in Sector 53 for the cultural complex. There will be two auditoriums at the facility which will also be equipped with a theatre, art gallery, sculpture studio, workshop, library, exhibition centre, meeting/media hall, administrative blocks, guest house, cafeteria, dormitories for men and women and a convenient shopping complex.
The estimated cost of the project is Rs 100 crore and the deadline has been set at 36 months from the date of awarding the contract.
