the chance to promote their products and services and was concluded on the 28th of August.

The recently concluded real-estate expo entitled ‘North East Realty Expo 2011’ was organized jointly by Assam Real Estate & Infrastructure Developers’ Association (AREIDA), the apex body of promoters/ builders in Assam and Dainik Purvoday, a Hindi daily newspaper from Guwahati which witnessed the participation of over 70 leading promoters.

The big guns in this premier expo of everything that has to do with the real estate industry were Merlin Projects, Godrej Properties of Kolkata, Unique Builders, ARG Group, and Mangalam Builders of Jaipur, Infinity, Simplex, Ideal Hill View, Kone, Masonite, SBI, Brahmaputra Group, Royal Estate Developers, Earth Infrastructure & Okayplus Group, etc.

“We are emphasizing on all round development of Assam. Development should not be Guwahati-centric and the growth of small towns is equally important. Metros like Delhi, Bangalore and others can not be an example for us to follow,” the Chief Minister of Assam Tarun Gogoi said in his inaugural address.

Commissioner and Secretary of Guwahati Development Department Dr. Ashish Bhutani, General Manager of SBI PK Gupta were also present on the occasion.

East Guwahati MLA Robin Bordoloi inaugurated a photographic exhibition on ancient architecture of the North East entitled ‘Traces of Seven Sisters’.

“Development should not be Guwahati-centric and the growth of small towns is equally important. Metros like Delhi, Bangalore and others can not be an example for us to follow” - Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi

AREIDA Vice Chairman Ashok Pansari in his welcome address said, “The real estate developers have come up in the city very recently. Of course Guwahati has grown in an unplanned manner. For example, only 25 per cent of the GS Road is occupied, the highways have lots of space for industrial growth. But vertical extension is the most plausible solutions for a city like Guwahati to grow.”

AREIDA President PK Sharma underlined the need for having a ‘special housing zone’, in the line of SEZs.

To wind down after the hectic schedule of the day’s work, talks and cultural programs were organized during each evening of the four day extravaganza. Acclaimed artistes like Bhupinder-Mitali Singh, Angarag Mahanta (Papon) with Indus Creed, East India Company and Veena Music (Rajasthan) groups performed to enthrall the audience.

EP Desk