PANAJI
After terminating the concession agreement with Royal Rides Pvt Ltd, the Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC) is set to float a fresh tender for the proposed ropeway project from Panaji to Reis Magos.
Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte on Thursday informed the House that the project will be completed within a period of three years from the date of appointment of new bidder.
Responding to the Question tabled by BJP MLA Kedar Naik, Khaunte said that the GTDC has terminated the Concession Agreement entered with the Concessionaire M/s Royal Rides Private Limited for “Development, Operations and Maintenance of Passenger Ropeway.
“Further, it may be noted that GTDC is in the process of floating new tender for the said project,” he said adding that upon floating the new tender and appointment of a “successful bidder” the time allotted to the Concessionaire is three years for completion of the project.
Khaunte said that the project will be run through Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode, in which the Concessionaire had to invest 100 per cent for project to set up the infrastructure and make it operational. “The Concessionaire is required to share revenue at the rate of 5 per cent out of total gross turnover to GTDC,” he said.
The plan to start a ropeway from Panaji to Reis Magos hit a dead end with multiple concerns being raised about the feasibility of the project, which was initially envisaged in 2016. The total cost of the project pegged at that time was Rs 150 crore.
For the ropeway project, 8,000 sqm in Reis Magos was taken on lease for a period of 99 years from the comunidade of Nerul and government also allotted land measuring 5,200 sqm belonging to the tourism department, near the swimming pool complex in Campal, for the project.
At the time of signing the agreement, the project had proposed facilities like recreation and entertainment tourism activities such as a Gondola restaurant, 4D aquarium, zip line, and a revolving restaurant among other.
