JOIN USTaking note of severe congestion problems faced during the mega auto expo at Pragati Maidan in the Capital, the government is planning to create a new exhibition centre for international shows in South West Delhi’s Dwarka.
“To shift the venue, the government has started discussion with international exhibitors who have the skill to organise exhibition centre of international standards,” Union Urban Development Minister Kamal Nath told reporters after his valedictory address at the Auto Expo on Wednesday.
However, the urban development minister didn’t disclose much on whether the new venue will be ready by the time the show is held next year.
“By next year, there may be an announcement for the creation of a new exhibition centre, but it may take more time to build it,” he added. Nath, while unveiling a plaque which mentioned that the next auto expo is scheduled to be held from February 5 to 12, hinted that a shift in venue is also on the cards. In place of the venue, only ‘National Capital Region of Delhi’ was mentioned. The hosting capacity of Pragati Maidan has reached its saturation point.
Due to inconvenience, several international auto giant executives even threatened to pull out of the show. The chaos also led to a huge traffic jams in several places, forcing Delhi Police to advice the organisers to shift the venue from next year. Police said that in future, no-objection certificates (NOC) “may not be given to hold events like the auto expo in the heart of the city”. The mega car show was co-hosted by the CII, Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) and Automotive Component Manufacturers Association (ACMA).
Shifting the venue of the exhibition to the city outskirts is a long pending demand. In 2004, the Delhi Police had sent a proposal to the Union Commerce Ministry which organises national and international fairs, to shift the auto expo venue to the city outskirts like Dwarka or Greater Noida. Earlier, the Delhi High Court too had asked the Centre to explore the feasibility of relocating the exhibition venue to city outskirts.
Though the government held several meetings with the Union Urban Development Ministry and Commerce Ministry for identifying an alternate location, nothing concrete has emerged so far.