The Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) has invited request for proposals (RFPs) from interested agencies for development of 10 hotel sites across the State capital through an e-auction process. Out of the 10 plots, seven belong to the GA Department and three to the Idco.
The 10 proposed hotels would have at least 700 rooms for tourists in various categories as the hotels would be of budget and star categories. Four hotels would be under the budget category and six of the star category.
A pre-bid meeting would be held among the interested bidders on February 28; and the last date of submission of bids is March 27. The e-auction is scheduled on April 17.
The “preferred bidder” shall have to pay the quoted amount within a period in three instalments to the BDA. To construct the hotels (budget/star), it would incorporate a special purpose vehicle (SPV) which shall develop the project. The project has to be completed within a period of three years from the date of plot allotment.
The projects would be developed at Gopabandhu Nagar, Chandrasekharpur, Patia, Jayadev Vihar, Bomikhal, Bhimpur, Bharatpur, Ghatikia and near Info Valley.
The bidding parameter for auction shall be the “Upfront lease Premium (UlP)” to be paid. The bidder quoting the highest UlP shall be declared as the “preferred bidder”.
Bhubaneswar has emerged first in the National Smart City Challenge of the Government of India. The city has also been ranked as the 3rd best among 17 cities in the country in terms of ease of doing business, according to a survey report by the World Bank.
Additionally, Bhubaneswar being a temple city and a gateway to other tourist attractions in Odisha like the Jagannath Temple in Puri and the Sun Temple at Konark, tourists flow is also significant. The international air connectivity through the Biju Patnaik International Airport has also made the city a gateway to the Eastern Asian nations and the world.
Despite the presence of luxury, mid-range and budget hotels in Bhubaneswar, it is considered that the hospitality sector in the city needs further investment to cater to a burgeoning demand.