Tourism boost for Sindhudurg: State allots 54.40 hectares to Taj Hotel group for five-star centre

In its bid to push a proposal stuck for more than 25 years, the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maharashtra government on Tuesday decided to allot land measuring 54.40 hectares

In its bid to push a proposal stuck for more than 25 years, the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maharashtra government on Tuesday decided to allot land measuring 54.40 hectares in Shiroda in Vengurla tehsil of Sindhudurg to Indian Hotels Company Limited, which runs Taj Hotels, for a five-star tourism centre. The land has been given at 90-years lease at a nominal rent for the construction of cottages in Vengurla for tourism development. The proposal of the allotment of land for the construction of the hotel to the leading players in the hotel industry was taken after the state government announced Sindhudurg as a tourism district more than two decades ago. After a decision of allotting land to the Taj Group was taken in 1994, the land was acquired in stages till 1998 by the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC). Part of the land is in the group’s possession, while it has been pushing for possession of the remaining land.

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The state cabinet on Tuesday decided to hand over the remaining part of the plot, which is a connecting track of land to other two plots handed over to the company. “The plot is allotted at the nominal lease rent of ₹1 and a premium of 110% of the existing ready reckoner rate will be applicable on it,” said an official from the revenue department.

“The proposal was stuck in limbo for years for various reasons, but it is being pushed after the Shiv Sena-led government took over the reins in the state. The state government intends to promote tourism and attract foreign tourists landing in adjoining Goa. Under the tourism promotion scheme there were few more leading hotels who had been allotted the land, but they have opted out from the scheme. We expect the Taj Hotels group to construct the cottages and resorts in Vengurla at the earliest,” said an official from the tourism department.

The official said that the part of the plot comes under CRZ-I and construction on it would not be allowed, while the remaining part of the plot can have cottage-type structures.