Thursday, October 13 2005 13:10 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Houston (US): The long-awaited dream of building 'India House' that will give a sense of pride and identity for 1,20,000 Indian Americans has taken a giant step forward with the City Council approving a grant of USD 5,00,000 towards its construction.

The Houston City Council yesterday (Oct 12, 2005) gave unanimous approval to disburse the amount from the Community Development Grant (CDBG) Funds toward construction of the community centre.

Preparations are underway for a tentative ground breaking in mid January 2006. Construction will start by early February 2006 and phase 1 of the project will be completed in the first quarter of 2007.

The project was placed on the agenda of the City Council meeting yesterday after persistent efforts for the last three years by many community activists, Indian House Board and its Council members.

"Finally a 30-year-old dream is becoming a reality thanks to the dedication and persistence of several community activists and it feels great," Ashok Dhingra, Vice President operations of the India House Board of Directors and a driving force behind this initiative, told PTI.

The master plan for the entire project has been completed and the schematic design for the phase one includes a senior citizen centre, game room, medical clinic, and an immigration assistance centre, Dhingra said.