Overseas firms vie for convention centre in Goa

Forty-three companies, including big names from Hong Kong, Singapore and Dubai have shown keen interest in putting up Rs 300 crore-plus international convention centre proposed at Dona Paula.

The Goa government had invited Expressions of Interest (EoI) from global parties last month and the government functionaries are elated by the positive response. Promoters of top convention centres in the country have also sent in their bids.

Situated on the 25 acre prime land near Goa University, the centre would consist of multi-purpose conference hall of 2,000 capacity, ballroom of 1,200 capacity, meeting rooms and exhibition halls.

The project will also have middle and high-budget accommodation of 350 rooms, an entertainment zone of 3 lakh sq ft and commercial space of 1.2 lakh sq ft including malls.

"The good response to the convention centre project has sent clear signals to the industry outside the state that Goa is emerging as a big destination for MICE. At present, the EoI documents are being examined," the official said. In the second stage, parties would be short listed after which detailed technical and financial bids will be invited.

Officials are hopeful that work on the project would begin by the year-end. The convention centre which many governments in the last one decade had been talking about will now be built on BOOT (built, own, operate and transfer) basis on a long term concession.

It was also one of the so-called gifts announced by the Vajpayee-led NDA government three years ago for Goa.

Like the Sky bus, it was to remain only as a promise, until now.

This project comes close on the heels of proposals for cruise terminal for international cruise liners and marina (mainly for yachts) proposed at Aguada.