The Centre’s plan to shift the India International Trade Fair from Pragati Maidan in Delhi to Expo Mart in Greater Noida has run into rough weather.Citing space crunch, lack of transport and infrastructure, the India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) has refused to shift the trade fair out of Delhi.
ITPO officials say that despite the best efforts of Expo Mart officials they cannot give their approval to shift the fair, a popular event of the national Capital, due to distance and lack of infrastructure.
“We have been organising events as per our schedule and at present there is no plan to shift the venue to any other place. If we plan for this, we will have to think about the lakhs of visitors who will face lots of problems in reaching Expo Mart in Greater Noida, that is nearly 50-kilometers from Pragati Maidan. There is another pressing issue with Expo Mart as it does not have sufficient space to host such a mega event,” said an ITPO official.
A senior official of Expo Mart, however, said they had begun planning the shift after the Central Government indicated it was keen to change the venue.
“The ball was set rolling after the proposal was approved by Greater Noida Authority and the UP Government. We have expertise and experience to host such events,” an official said.
To provide adequate infrastructure to the exhibitors and proper facilities to the visitors, construction of a convention centre on 30-acres of land, heliport on 25-acres of land and a parking lot with the capacity to hold nearly 7,000 vehicles are also on the cards and all these projects will come up in close proximity of the Expo Centre, added the official. A senior official of Greater Noida Authority said that they had successfully conducted the Formula-1 Race and it had benefited the region and if ITPO gives permission to shift the IITF to Greater Noida, it will be considered another milestone for the city.
“If ITPO does not want to organise events at Expo Mart due to lack of space, we are ready to construct another venue on 200-acres of Knowledge Park-IV. Now it is up to Expo Mart authority and UP Government to negotiate with ITPO and the Centre. If the move is delayed, it may be a bureaucratic hurdle as Greater Noida Authority is playing a role of facilitator only,” said Harish Verma, Additional CEO of Gr Noida Authority.