SRINAGAR: Over three years after scrapping of J&K’s special status, the Lt Governor administration has identified 12 tourism properties in Jammu and Kashmir, including one of Asia’s largest and most beautiful golf courses in Srinagar for outsourcing through public private partnership mode and invited bids from national and international companies.
Of the 12 tourism properties identified for outsourcing, 11 have been divided into three bundles. The Bundle I includes Pahalgam club and convention centre and Pahalgam Hutments and Hotel Alpine with an estimated project cost of Rs 108.44 crores. In the Bundle II bracket, there are three properties including Tourism facilities at Sanasar Lake, tourist bungalow Kud and Hotel Maple Kud with an estimated project cost of Rs 48.89 crores and while bracket III includes six properties – Ramban Cafeteria, Tourist Bungalow at Ramban, Tourist Bungalow Seri-Ramban, Tourist Bungalow Banihal, Hotel Maple Banihal and Cafeteria Qazigund at an estimated project cost of Rs 6.86 crores.
The J&K Tourism Development Corporation, which manages these properties, has invited proposals from reputed national or international entities, joint ventures for undertaking Development, Operation & Maintenance of select tourism assets (bundle-wise) with 30 years concession period for Bundle – I & II is and license period of 15 years for Bundle –III.
The last date for receiving queries was February 27, which has been extended upto March 9. The pre-bid meeting would be held at Civil Secretariat, Jammu on March 10 and bid due date is March 31, 2023.
The administration has also decided to outsource the famed Royal Spring Golf Course in Srinagar, one of Asia’s largest golf courses through public-private-partnership mode.
The 300-acre Royal Springs Golf Course with 18 holes is renowned for its size and beauty. It is situated on the banks of Dal Lake and surrounded by the Zabarwan mountain range. According to officials, the selected private sector will design, renovate, finance, build (including procurement and construction), operation and maintenance (O&M) of the outsourced properties.
“The properties will be transferred to JKTDC at the end of the Concession Period, as per the terms of the Concession Agreement,” they said. They said the government through JKTDC has embarked on augmenting tourism hospitality infrastructure facilities at select brownfield assets.
The government has formed a panel to decide on the mechanism of outsourcing the identified assets of the Tourism Department in a phased manner. The outsourcing of the tourism assets has come after Kashmir recorded an all time high of over 2.3 million footfall of tourists in 2022.
Govt forms panel to discuss outsourcing
The government has formed a panel to decide on the mechanism of outsourcing the identified assets of the Tourism Department in a phased manner. The outsourcing of the tourism assets has come after Kashmir recorded an all time high of over 2.3 million footfall of tourists in 2022.