By IANS
Hyderabad : A memorandum of understanding (MoU) for setting up an American consulate here will be signed between the Andhra Pradesh government and US authorities Tuesday.
The MoU for leasing Paigah Palace, a heritage structure, to house the consulate will be signed in the presence of Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy and US consulate general in Chennai David T. Hopper.
With the agreement, the American authorities will take possession of the palace, located in Begumpet area near the airport. The consulate is expected to start functioning later this year or early next year before having its permanent accommodation near Hitec City, the IT hub, which is expected to come up in five years. The government has already offered a 10-acre-site for the building.
The Paigah palace currently houses the office of Hyderabad Urban Development Authority (HUDA). Built in the European style in the 1880s, it has 20 spacious rooms and four huge halls with high ceiling that go up to 26 feet.
Since 40 percent of those applying for visas in the US Consulate in Chennai are from Andhra Pradesh, opening of the US consulate in Hyderabad will be beneficial to large numbers of students and professionals from the state.
The visa seekers from the state now travel to Chennai, New Delhi or Mumbai for visa interviews.