Even as the deadline for receiving bids for Andhra Pradesh’s first international convention centre is nearing, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has directed the officials to take up the prestigious project on a fast-track mode.
Highly-placed sources told The Hindu that problems encountered with regard to acquisition of a piece of land for the project have been sorted out. The project will come up at the sea-facing APIIC Grounds in the Harbour Park area of the city. At the same place, CII Partnership Summit-cum-Sunrise AP Investment Meet was hosted twice consecutively by erecting AC hangers for want of a permanent venue.
Though 10 acres in Harbour Park belongs to the AP Industrial Infrastructure Corporation, the authorities have convinced a mall owner to surrender nearly four acres at the adjoining area and take an alternative land in the same vicinity as compensation, sources said.
This will enable the Infrastructure Corporation of AP ((INCAP) to finalise a developer on a PPP mode to construct the international convention centre and a five star hotel in an area of 10 acres leaving the remaining land for raising greenery.
“As Mr. Naidu wants the AP’s first convention centre look better than HITEX in Hyderabad, we want to go for a best available design as well as landscaping,” a senior official of the APIIC said.
At present, Hotel Novotel Varun Beach located at the most sought after RK Beach can accommodate not more than 1,200 forcing organisers to hold Partnership Summit at the vacant ground by spending huge amount on AC hangers. Two earlier attempts by the government to build international convention centres in 58 acres at Madhurawada and 20 acres at Mudasarlova were dropped due to lukewarm response from the bidders.
Last date for bids March 31
This time, INCAP issued an expression of interest notification on February 22. The last date for submission of bids is March 31. The minimum project value is mentioned as ₹152 crore. A special purpose vehicle maybe set up at a later stage.
“Once ready the convention centre will help promote Visakhapatnam as a centre for Meetings, Incentives, Conferencing and Exhibitions (MICE) in a big way,” CII-AP chairman G.S. Shiv Kumar said.
