The Orissa government is looking to rope in private players to start its proposed luxury train for tourists on the public-private partnership (PPP) mode involving an investment of Rs 37 crore.
“We are in the process of negotiating with some private players to start a luxury train for the tourists on the PPP mode. The discussions are still at a preliminary stage and we are yet to receive any commitment from these private players”, an official source told Business Standard.
He, however, declined to name the private players. Earlier, the state tourism department had negotiated with the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) for working out the modalities of the proposed luxury train.
Apart from providing catering services, IRCTC will also be responsible for designing the interiors of the train.
The proposed luxury train modeled on the lines of the famed Palace on Wheels would cover all the tourist destinations of Orissa.
The luxury train will provide the tourists with a flavour of the state's wildlife, beaches, Buddhist sites, exquisite temples, arts and crafts, dance forms, Chilika lake and the tribal culture. Unlike other luxury trains operating in the country like Palace on Wheels, Deccan Odyssey and The Golden Chariot which cater to high end tourists, the luxury train would also be affordable for the middle income groups.
Asked on the status of the Shamuka tourism project, the source said, “The state chief minister would review the status of the Shamuka tourism project in a meeting scheduled for next week. The meeting would also decide the time frame for inviting fresh bids for the project.”
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The Samuka tourism project was to be developed on an area of about 1,000 acres on the public-private partnership (PPP) mode at an investment of Rs 3,500 crore
It may be noted that the state government had earlier decided to invite fresh bids for the four five-star hotel properties, to be developed on 100 acres of land as a part of the project, by the end of March this year.
However, the bids could not be invited as per the schedule due to the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in the state.
The state government had to go for the fresh bidding for the Samuka project as it had received a lukewarm response to the earlier bids. Only three hotel chains had participated in the final bidding process.
The state government was also to open the bidding process for selecting the master developer for the project.
The master developer was to develop the infrastructure on the remaining 900 acres of land at the project site. near Sipasarubali, about 10 km south of Puri.
The facilities to be developed by the master developer include a convention centre of international standards with a seating capacity of nearly 1,500, an 18-hole golf course, boutique hotels, international spa and wellness centres, an entertainment zone and sports facilities.
The selected developer was to develop, design and operate these facilities. The master developer was to generate revenues either by selling or renting out these facilities.
The state government was to invest Rs 50-70 crore on developing external infrastructure like roads, electricity and water supply for the Samuka tourism project.