Patna: Travellers to Patna will have three plush hotels, equipped with world-class features, to stay in. The Tourism Department has proposed to develop the hotels on 9.80 acre land, currently housing Hotel Patliputra Ashok, Bankipore Bus Stand and Sultan Palace (the office of Transport Commissioner), at an investment of around ₹3,000 crore.
The existing structures would be demolished for the upcoming the hotels, which would jave the highest-rated staying facilities in the state capital, said Principal Secretary of Bihar Tourism Department Santosh Kumar Mall on Friday.
The State Cabinet at the meeting chaired by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has approved the Tourism Department’s proposal to develop the 5-star hotels by private investors on the land leased out to them for a period of 45 years. “We are expending the process for building the hotels so that they could become operational in the next three years,” said Mall.
Tourism Minister Narayan Prasad said that the three hotels together would have more than 1100-bed facilities, apart from other attractive amenities spa, business centres, banquet halls, meditation centres, recreational facilities, wellness centres, restaurants, etc. “The floor area ratio (FAR) of the proposed construction would be increased to allow them having sufficient heights. The department would soon invite tenders to rope in private investors to build the mega structures,” said the Minister.
A high-power committee under the leadership of the Chief Secretary has been set up to finalise bid conditions and terms for handing over the property to private parties for business operation. Additional Chief Secretaries/Principal Secretaries of Finance, Urban Development, Tourism and Industries would brainstorm the clauses for letting the plots open for business by private investors, said the Minister.
Officials said that the State Government offered to build high-class hotels at the prime locations in view of increasing footfall of domestic and international tourists to Bihar over the years. “More than 3.40 crore tourists visited Bihar during 2019, owing to its rich cultural and religious legacies and historic places. The number of visitors is set to grow further as the State Government has decided to promote tourism sectors,” said the Minister.
The plot currently occupied by Bankipore Bus Stand near Gandhi Maidan will have 500-bed hotel. The bus stand is being shifted to Phulwari Sharif. Sultan Palace, which is one of the oldest buildings of Patna, will be demolished to have 400-bed hotel. Currently the building, which is in dilapidated condition, has office of the State Transport Commissioner. The office of the Transport is also being transferred to other location. A 175-bed hotel will come up near Income Tax roundabout in place of existing Hotel Patliputra Ashoka, which was built in the year 1976.
