IL&FS Infra to back major tourism projects

West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation limited (WBTDCL) would be building a 10-acre tourism plaza on the Eastern Metropolitan By-pass and offer land at subsidised rates to developers of two and three star category hotels through an internal selection process.

Land prices in the city were surging rapidly and it was not viable for two or three star category hotel developers to buy land at high prices for projects, said Manab Mukherjee, minister-in-charge, tourism, micro and small enterprises & textiles, government of West Bengal.

There was however rising demand for hotel rooms in the city and more budget and lesser star category hotels were urgently required, said Mukherjee.

The tourism plaza would have around three to four three star category hotels together with other tourism services.

The hotel contracts would not necessarily go to highest bidders for land but would be given out on the basis of track record, added Mukherjee.

WBTDCL hoped to get the land in hand from some other government agencies which currently owned it in a couple of month's time, claimed S S Ahmed, director of tourism & special secretary of the state tourism department.

Mukherjee estimated that tourism in West Bengal would draw investments worth Rs 2500 crore in the coming financial year.

In a parallel move, WBTDCL today signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the IL&FS Infrastructure Development Corporation limited to float a 50:50 joint venture company for development and implementation of large tourism projects in the state.

The name of the company was yet to be decided.

IL&FS Infrastructure Development corporation will be working on identification of projects, conducting feasibility studies, developing the master plan, manage the bid process as well as procure necessary clearances for the project.

IL&FS was currently working on 25 projects on urban infrastructure and airports worth Rs 2000 crore in West Bengal, said Sudip Datta, vice-president of IL&FS Infrastructure Development.

It also had joint venture companies with the urban development department and the West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation (WBIDC).

It would work on four projects with WBTDCL "� a Heritage River Circuit on the Ganges, a 11km ropeway project in Darjeeling, a Kolkata-Howrah ropeway project, and cruise shipping on the eastern coast.

The Heritage River circuit project would offer a river cruise to vists renovated tourism destinations and allied services and support centers along the Ganges, starting from Kolkata and going both upstream to Murshidabad and downstream to the Sunderbans.

There could be transit points at Chandannagore, Dakhhineshwar, Plassey and Bandel.

Heritage buildings along the riverbank would be developed into hotels while museums and other activities including water sports would be developed along these points to offer breaks on the journey.

The 11km Darjeeling passenger ropeway would connect Darjeeling with the bridge over Rangeet river on the state border with the South district of Sikkim.

The route would offer transit points for travelers as also cafeterias and leisure activities.

The aim was to develop this route both for tourists and local commuters.

The Kolkata ropeway would be partly along the river bank and link Howrah and Kolkata across the river Hugli.

The cruise shipping project would offer a sea cruise from Kolkata southwards to Vishakhapattanam and to the Andamans in the Bay of Bengal.

IL&FS would apply for grants from the Centre under the Large Revenue Generating Scheme for these projects of upto Rs 50 crore for one project.

The total estimated project cost for the four was estimated to be Rs 487 crore.