The Indian embassy yesterday started functioning from its new premises, near Gulf Times office, in the Al Hilal area.
The mission, frequented every day by hundreds of expatriates for consular services, had been functioning from a different location in the Al Hilal area for more than 25 years.
Speaking to Gulf Times yesterday, Indian Ambassador Deepa Gopalan Wadhwa said the new premises, would be much more accessible than the previous one to those who could not avail of private transportation.
The new building also provides more space for visitors to move around and it also has more counters. There is a separate waiting facility at the complex for women, the ambassador said.
The envoy also expressed the hope that “at a not too distant future”, the embassy would be able to relocate itself to its own building.
However, as of now, the latest facility provides more accessibility to people coming to avail of consular services, feels Wadhwa.
The ambassador said the new building would also provide space for embassy forums like the Indian Community Benevolent Fund (ICBF) for their activities.
There were several visitors at the new location yesterday.
The latest location of the embassy is its fourth. Initially, when it started functioning in the early 70s, the Indian embassy was located along the Suhaim bin Hamad Street in the Al Sadd area.
Later it moved to Najma Street, near Gulf Cinema signal, also in the Al Hilal area.
Before the Indian embassy started functioning in Qatar, Indian nationals used to avail of their consular services at the British High commission, near Mannai roundabout, senior community member Abdul Khader Haji, who arrived in Qatar in 1966, said.
http://gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=329654&version=1&template_id=36&parent_id=16
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