An artist?s impression of Milon Mela

Trade shows to terracotta, handicrafts to histrionics, consumer durables to cuisine corners ? Milon Mela, the ?international-standard? fair ground coming up opposite Science City and beside ITC Sonar Bangla, the alternative venue for the Maidan fairs, will play host to it all, starting mid-2007.

The stipulated construction time for the 150,000-sq-ft Phase I of the project off the Park Circus Connector (JBS Haldane Avenue), with an awarded value of Rs 43.5 crore, is 18 months and developers Ahluwalia Contracts (India) Ltd, are confident they are ?on track?.

The first phase will have a main entrance (from behind the star hotel), a 46,000-sq-ft AC hall for national and international trade fairs and symposia, four non-AC halls adding up to 51,000 sq ft of floor space for local fairs, a food court and an open-air theatre.

?Our brief from WBIDC was to deliver a fair centre with an international feel, while chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee stressed the need to be sensitive to the local context and people?s needs. We have tried to blend both the moods in the design solution,? Shobhit Uppal, director, Ahluwalia Contracts (India) Ltd, tells Metro.

The upcountry construction major, involved in erecting a clutch of landmark projects in town including Apollo Gleneagles Hospitals, Hiland Park, South City and Silver Spring, has bagged the Bypass fair ground assignment, edging out fellow bidders L&T and Shapoorji Pallonji.

?The chief minister had suggested that one hall be dedicated to showcase traditional arts and crafts of Bengal and we have done just that,? says Uppal. Efforts are on to integrate the crafts village behind the fair ground with Milon Mela for the second phase. The area earmarked for Phase II would now be used for ?temporary fairs?.

While the government is eyeing a bigger venue for the book fair, Milon Mela should play host to the Industrial India Trade Fair, National Handicrafts Expo, Lexpo, Exhibition Enterprise, National Handloom Expo, Travel & Tourism Fair and Sonar Sansar.

While neither Messe Dusseldorf, nor Deutsche Messe AG of Hannover ? both were in the fair-centre frame at different junctures ? is involved, there?s a German connection, still. JV Consult of Munich, which designed part of the Munich trade fair ground, besides doing the Rs 400-crore India Expo Mart in Greater Noida and Hitex in Hyderabad, is the ?concept architect? firm for Milon Mela.

Meinhardt of Singapore is the structural and services consultant, while Shiban Ganju & Associates is the ground architect. Though the concept drawing has been approved by Consulting Engineering Services (CES), the evaluating agency for bids, the final drawing is now being prepared for an end-May submission.

?We have ensured that the central concourse is designed in such a manner that it indulges Calcutta?s passion for adda, serving as an interesting rendezvous round the year,? says S.C. Mukhopadhyay, senior general manager in Ahluwalia Contracts.

To add ?local flavour?, terracotta murals of ?eminent Bengalis? will be depicted on the facades of the non-AC halls, while motifs of Bankura aatchala temples will adorn the roofs of the halls in steel. A VIP lounge with restroom and conference space will be housed at the rear of the AC hall.

?We have also been extremely careful to ensure there?s no mix of vehicular and pedestrian traffic,? adds Mukhopadhyay.