NDMC finally opens convention center

Nearly forty years after it was planned, the New Delhi Municipal Council on Monday opened the convention center opposite Jantar Mantar. HT reports

Nearly forty years after it was planned, the New Delhi Municipal Council on Monday opened the convention center opposite Jantar Mantar.

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Inaugurated by union minister of home affairs P Chidambaram, the convention center has a modern auditorium of approximately 300-persons capacity, six conferencing halls, a business center and a cafeteria.

Chidadambaram said NDMC should use this convention center not only for government meetings and functions, but also for social events.

The NDMC, however, is yet to decide whether to look after the renting of the place or to give it to an outside agency.

"We are in the process of finalizing the rates of the center. It will most probably be open to public for booking in some time," said Anand Tiwari, spokesman of NDMC.

The convention centre, along with the NDCC-2 building - the Commonwealth Games building - was built on a budget of Rs 114 crore.

Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit, who was also present at the inauguration, said the convention centre is the last part of New Delhi City Center, and will become an iconic building in the heart of city.

The convention center completes the concept of New Delhi City Centre (NDCC) that was visualized in 1969 which was to be completed in two phases.

The first phase was the building of NDCC-1, also known as NDMC headquarters. The second was the Commonwealth Games building and the convention center.