HYDERABAD: In a bid to convince the US Government to open a `brick and mortar' Consulate in Hyderabad, the Andhra Pradesh Government has offered to allot 10 acres of land near Madhapur.

Since the construction was bound to take some time, the Government has offered to hand over the Dilkusha Guest House building on the Raj Bhavan Road to get the Consulate functional, without any delay. The US authorities too were believed to have accepted to consider the twin-proposal of starting the Consulate in Dilkusha Guest House immediately and then take up construction activity on the allotted land near Madhapur.

Government sources say that the US authorities had preferred the Lake View Guest House building on the Raj Bhavan Road, keeping in view the security considerations. However, the Government politely turned down the proposal pointing out that it could not allot the guest house, which currently caters to needs of VVIPs visiting the State.

Logically correct step

The Government, in turn, requested the US authorities to consider taking over the Dilkusha Guest House, which is adjacent to the Raj Bhavan. With the gubernatorial office being provided a high security cover, setting up the consulate next to it was logically a correct step, the US officials were told, sources said.

The Raj Bhavan Road is already under round-the-clock surveillance and protests are not allowed on this road stretch.

The Dilkusha Guest House has ten suites and a spacious parking lot.

The move to set up a consulate in South India picked up momentum after the US Congress had recently passed a bill that allowed opening of a one more Consulate in India.

The US has three Consulates in Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata. Congressman Joseph Crowley, a democrat representing New York, introduced the clause for the fourth Consulate in India.

Unexpected roadblock

However, the Congressional clearance hit an unexpected roadblock recently, when the US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice had indicated, while testifying at the House International Relations Committee, that opening of a fourth consulate was unlikely, because of budgetary constraints.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail