At the moment Gurgaon has become synonymous with BPOs and call centres with most of the India’s largest companies operating from here, but if the Haryana government has its way, the millennium city would soon also become equally famous for having world class educational institutions like the IITs and the IIMs in its midst, thereby turning Gurgaon into an educational hub attracting students from all over the country and the world.

To this effect, efforts have already started to build adequate and suitable facilities in Gurgaon to attract educational institutes of repute like IITs and IIMs and top medical colleges of the country.

According to the financial commissioner of the Directorate of Town and Country Planning (DTCP) the plan was to first create the facilities and then make a pitch for bringing the IITs and IIMs to the city. These facilities, a part of the master plan being prepared by the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA), include the development of a farmers market, an exhibition ground and convenient shopping centres across the city.

An audit planning, being conducted by the government, was already under way to find out what development projects had the city been missing out on all these years and what public conveniences and facilities had not been provided for.

As a part of this plan HUDA had also finalized the development of 14 multi-level parking spaces in the city for which spots had already been selected in Sectors 23, 28 and 29 with more multi-level parkings to come up in Sectors 2, 4, 5, 9, 9A, 10, 12, 32, 39, 45 and 46.

The plan also included the creation of six old age homes in Gurgaon, looking at the large number of elderly citizens residing in the city. Provision were also being made for the construction of three new hostels for working women and a craftsmen village was also planned to be developed in the city where the craftsmen and artisans from neighboring villages could display their wares.

According to the HUDA administrator, work had already started on the implementation of these plans and the government was hopeful of delivering these facilities within the next five years to its citizens.

Once these facilities were ready a formal pitch would be made to bring the country’s best educational institutions to Gurgaon. There is still some time for that, but the plan sure looks impressive.