Title: Need to set up an International Exhibition Centre at Nagpur, Maharashtra.
SHRI VILAS MUTTEMWAR (NAGPUR): Sir, New Delhi is our capital and one of the important centres of industrial and commercial activities. Thanks to the development of International Exhibition Centre like Pragati Maidan, where a number of different exhibitions and industrial fairs are being held regularly every year, this had encouraged the foreign countries also to participate in these fairs. Such fairs provide an ideal opportunity for new launches, new technologies, new components and as a whole new set of business possibilities. Now the time has come to initiate to develop more such centres.
Recently, the Chief Minister of Maharashtra announced his intention to establish an International Exhibition Centre like Pragati Maidan at Nagpur.
1447 hours (Dr. Raghuvansh Prasad Singh in the Chair)
Nagpur is the centrally located and most suitable place, which is a geographical capital of the country, second capital of Maharashtra and second greenest city. Nagpur covers 214 sq. kms. of area and has reasonable good urban infrastructure, housing, medical, education and recreation facilities. The National Highway No.7 (Varanasi-Kanyakumari) is just half a kilometre from Nagpur airport, which connects National Highway No.6 (Mumbai-Calcutta). Approximately 300 domestic and international flights pass over Nagpur air corridor daily. Nagpur becomes a logistic hub of the country and also an ideal hub site between South East Asia, Australia, Japan, Amsterdam, Frankfurt and Sharjah. Nagpur is also a major transhipment centre for goods. Butibori Industrial Estate, which is 20 kms. away from Nagpur is one of the biggest of its kind in Asia, having all kinds of five star facilities and it has created an industrial atmosphere.
Nagpur, because of its ideal central location, good climate, ample and cheap space, peaceful and secured atmosphere, good ancillary infrastructure, good road and rail connections offers an excellent site for global trade centre.
I, therefore, request the Government to kindly take a final decision and issue orders for establishing an International Exhibition Centre at Nagpur.