|
Newstrack
Plan for land bank for hotels ahead of 2010 Games
Oineetom Ojah - New Delhi
The government will introduce a central sector plan scheme to create a land
bank for hotel construction, given the acute shortage of hotel accommodation,
particularly during the Commonwealth Games in 2010.
The urban development ministry has already identified three sites for hotels
in the capital. The identified plots will be given to India Tourism Development
Corporation (ITDC) on a long-term lease for a token amount to build hotels by
2008 through PPPs under the build, own, operate and transfer (BOOT) route.
The government also plans to continue with the existing scheme of capital subsidy
for construction of budget hotels. The current capacity of 10,000 hotel rooms
in the capital has failed to put up tourists and other visitors. On its part,
ITDC has worked out a revitalisation plan of Rs 237.85 crore during the Eleventh
Plan period to renovate and upgrade all ITDC hotels in the Capital. The corporation
plans to spend at least Rs 185.15 crore between 2007-09 to give a facelift to
Samrat hotel, Janpath and Ashok hotels.
Another Rs 146.70 crore will be spent on hotel Ashok, New Delhi, alone to convert
all the 550 rooms into international standard and upgrade the security system
and other facilities ahead of the games. With ITDC out of duty-free trade, the
corporation will depend on support from the tourism ministry to finance its
upgrade programme.
|
