The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : US consulate by 2008-end

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Wednesday, Jul 04, 2007
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

US consulate by 2008-end

Special Correspondent

Consulate to be housed at Paigah Palace for five years

PHOTO: Satish. H

One for the album: U.S. Ambassador to India David C. Mulford and his wife Jeeni Mulford during their visit to the proposed U.S. Consulate General Office at the historic Paigah Palace in Hyderabad on Tuesday.

HYDERABAD: The United States consulate in Hyderabad, the fourth in India, will become functional towards the close of 2008, US Ambassador David C. Mulford announced here on Tuesday.

An amount of US $ 7.6 million (about Rs. 30 crore) has been earmarked in the US Government’s budget for renovation and modernisation of Paigah Palace in Begumpet, the existing location of the Hyderabad Urban Development Authority (HUDA), where the consulate will be housed for about five years.

An agreement for leasing out the heritage structure to the US consulate was signed in the presence of Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy by Ambassador Mulford and Principal Secretary GAD. C. R. Biswal. The consulate will shift to by 2011 to a location near Gachi Bowli where the Government has agreed to allot 12 acres for construction of permanent structures.

The Hyderabad office is expected to ease the pressure on the US consulate in Chennai for issue of visas (only non-immigration), besides undertaking other consular services, particularly business promotion.

Mr. Mulford said the establishment of a consulate in Hyderabad represented fulfilment of the promise of US President George W. Bush during his visit here in March 2006.

Strategic location

Showering fulsome praise on Hyderabad, he said it was chosen over other busy cities because of its strategic location in terms of a large visa demand, a broad-based economy spanning information technology, bio-technology and other life sciences besides a diverse population, including Muslims.

“Hyderabad is a busy and well-managed city – a city that works”. The Chief Minister, describing it as `a big day’, assured the full cooperation of his Government for establishment of the consulate. He said that the world was becoming a global village and it was essential to make the passage of people easy. Highlighting the ‘significant’ association of people of Andhra Pradesh and the United States, he said a fourth of the Indians working in the Silicon Valley belonged to the State.

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