The Union Textile Minister Shri Kashiram Rana,
today laid the foundation stone for the ‘Handicrafts Bhavan’
here this evening. The Bhoomi Pujan was done by the Union
Urban Development and Poverty Alleviation Minister, Shri Ananth
Kumar. Shri Madan Lal Khurana, MP was the Chief Guest at the function.
The Minister of State for Textile, Shri Basanagouda R. Patil,
Textile Secretary, Shri S.B. Mohapatra, and Secretary and Development
Commissioner for handlooms were present on the occasion.
Situated between ‘B’ and ‘C’ blocks of the State
Emporia Complex at Baba Kharak Singh Marg, the Handicrafts
Bhavan will have galleries, emporiums, auditoriums and premium
exhibition space. The Bhavan will provide space for housing
the showrooms of the newly formed States and Union Territories
which do not have any emporium in the city. It will also provide
facilities for exhibitions and direct marketing by craftsmen.
It will have an auditorium with facilities for holding seminars,
film shows, group discussions and interaction of craft persons
with customers, exporters, designers, etc.
The building, to be constructed by the CPWD,
at an estimated cost of 11.04 crore, shall have seven floors with
two floors in the basement with a total plinth area of 10418.25
square metre. The basement floors will provide space for warehouse,
food plaza, as also an electric substation. Ten emporiums will
be housed on the ground floor and the mezzanine floor. The upper
three floors will have exhibition/ multi-purpose halls, each floor
having three halls.
The emporiums on the ground and mezzanine floors
will be air-conditioned. Mechanical ventilation system will be
provided for the lower basement and the sub-station. The building
will be provided with an elevator, fire fighting system, automatic
fire detecting system and weak current facilities as also DG set
for catering to the essential loads in case of power failure.
