New Delhi, June 20: Mizoram’s historical Aizawl Club will soon give way to a prototype of Delhi’s glitzy India Habitat Centre, which is the hub of socio-cultural activities in the capital. The building, estimated to cost Rs 12.37 crore, is being constructed by the state-owned National Buildings Construction Corporation Ltd (NBCCL) with finance from the Union urban development ministry. It is one of the many projects the PSU has undertaken in the Northeast with a combined budget of Rs 900 crore.
“The centre will be the first of its kind in the region. Like the one in Delhi, it will be the number one venue for important events,” NBCCL chairman Arup Roy Choudhury said.
The project was conceived after the Mizo National Front (MNF) government made a representation to the Centre, asking for a city centre that would fill the vacuum created by Aizawl Club’s decadence. Another official said the city centre would be a landmark building, one that could go on to become a major tourist attraction.
The NBCCL engaged an architect of international repute to design the 5,695-square metre structure, which will have a combination of modern and ethnic elements. The structure will be similar to the one in New Delhi, but the roof will resemble a typical Mizo hut.
“We do not want the building to look out of place in the capital town’s landscape. At the same time, we want it to look different from the rest,” the official said.
The project is expected to be complete within a year.
The building will have three lower levels and four levels above the entry point. The lower levels will be for parking, banks and shops, while the upper echelons will have shops, a library, restaurants and a multi-purpose hall. Swimming pools, an art gallery, an exhibition hall and facilities for indoor sports such as snooker and billiards have been planned, too.
Though the city centre will be smaller in area than the India Habitat Centre, it will have all the facilities that the Delhi complex has. A senior official said each state capital of the Northeast must have such a centre. “In the Northeast, either Guwahati or Shillong gets chosen for major events because facilities in the rest of the state capitals are considered inadequate. A city centre in each of these states will ensure there is no discrimination.”