HYDERABAD: The United States' Consulate office in the city would be operational next year in a makeshift place even as the State Government has offered two sites for locating a permanent facility.

This was stated here on Tuesday by Henrietta H. Fore, Under Secretary of State for Management, U.S. State Department, while interacting with businessmen and reporters at a conference organised by the American Chamber of Commerce in India (AMCHEM). According to official sources here, a 10-acre site each was offered at Gopannapalli and near Wipro centre, Gachibowli.

Ms. Fore said the permanent building would come up in the next five years on the site which was "best suited". She expressed her gratitude to Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy for the support extended by the Government for setting up the consulate.

She said that Washington was watching India's growth and the annual exports from the US had doubled since 2000, while imports had increased by 75 per cent. Direct investment from US into India had tripled during the same period.

Stating that major effort was on to streamline visa operations in India, she said that since September last, the waiting time for visa applicants had come down to six days, while it used to be up to six months earlier. This was done through innovative management practices. She said that electronic visa application forms and web-based visa appointments were also introduced.

Bipin Chandra, Chairman, AMCHEM, said India's economic growth had been phenomenal and said that Hyderabad had good potential, apart from IT, in the fields of tourism, pharmaceuticals and medical tourism.

Jim Forbes, Minister Counsellor for Management Affairs, US Embassy, Delhi, David T. Hopper, Consul-General, Chennai, and Peter G. Kaestner, Minister Counsellor for Consular Affairs for India were also present.

Delegation calls on YSR

Meanwhile, a 10-member U.S. delegation led by Ms. Fore called on the Chief Minister.

She requested Dr. Reddy to handover Paigah Palace, which is in possession of the Hyderabad Urban Development Authority by April, so that the Consulate would start functioning early next year, according to an official release.

Dr. Reddy assured to provide a suitable site for a permanent building keeping in view available infrastructure, including the security angle.

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