The venture of the Taj group of hotels into Guwahati appears to be up for a bumpy ride as few groups and a political party have come forward to attack the land leasing agreement between the state government of Assam and Indian Hotels Company Limited.
The Taj group had recently entered into a 90-year land lease agreement with the state government for 15 bighas at Khanapara in eastern Guwahati for setting up of a luxury five star hotel.
The Nationalist Congress Party, which along with few other civil organisations has opposed setting up of the hotel at its present location, feels that the state government should have allotted the land in the outskirts of the city to decongest it.
The party is also against leasing of prime land in the city for setting up of a hotel. Further it alleged the whole land allotment process was done secretly.
The land was transferred from veterinary department, the original owner, to tourism department and then finally to Indian Hotels Company Limited, alleged the party. It opposed the relocation of a school, besides few residents, to facilitate construction of the luxury hotel. Criticizing the state government for not inviting open bids from other parties for setting up the hotel, and leasing a prime land at under value, Akshyay Rajkhowa, general secretary of the NCP state unit, said the party would chart out a plan programme in the coming days to oppose the setting up of the hotel. Under the land leasing agreement, the construction of the hotel would start within 6 months from the date of receipt of approval of building plans from Guwahati Municipal Corporation and Guwahati Municipal Development Authority and will be operational within 48 months of execution of this deed, subject to grant of all requisite approvals from the concerned authorities.
