A United States consulate will begin operations in Hyderabad 'sometime in late 2008,' US Ambassador to India David C Mulford announced in Hyderabad on Tuesday.
A lease agreement for establishing the American consulate in the city was inked in the presence of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhar Reddy and the US envoy.
US Department of State Strategic Planning Division Director Alexander J Kurien and Andhra Pradesh government's General Administration Department Principal Secretary (Political) C R Biswal signed the agreement for leasing Paigah Palace, a 100-year-old heritage building, for the new consulate.
The US ambassador told media persons that the consulate would start functioning from the temporary facility in late 2008 and a permanent facility would come up by 2011 on the 12-acre land offered by the state government at Gacchi Bowli on the city outskirts.
Mulford said $7.6 million have been provided in the US budget for renovation of the building and other expenses while another $ 6 million would be required for the staff and operations.
This is the fourth US consulate in India after Kolkata, Mumbai and Chennai. The Ambassador recalled that US President George W Bush had, during his visit to Hyderabad in March 2006, announced setting up of the US consulate in the city.
"We are extremely happy in locating the consulate in Hyderabad. We chose Hyderabad as it an ideal place to locate the consulate. It is a well managed city
with a broad economic base," Mulford said.
Pointing out that 'there is significant demand of consular services and for issuing visas in India,' he hoped that opening of the fourth consulate would relieve pressure on the system.
"My judgement after visiting Hyderabad was that Hyderabad is a city with a very broad and diversified economic base. It has a mix of all businesses like bio-technology, life sciences and information technology. It has a good blend of business. Andhra Pradesh has a very big diverse population and there is sizeable Muslim population, for instance," he added.
"We have a long history of relations with people of this state. Many professionals from this state were settled in US decades ago and today they are successful and are important players in American life," he pointed out.
"It is a big day for us," Dr Reddy said, adding, "The citizens of Andhra Pradesh have a long association with US. Few professionals used to go to US three decades ago. But after the advent of IT, the numbers have increased significantly. We have a big pool of talented technocrats."
With the signing of the agreement, the American authorities will take possession of the palace, located in Begumpet, near the existing airport. The US officials will renovate the building and chalk out plans for the operations. The palace currently houses the offices of Hyderabad Urban Development Authority.
Image: US envoy to India David Mulford with Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhar Reddy in Hyderabad. Photograph: SnapsIndia