Kerala to witness more PPP to boost tourism: Achuthanandan

Thiruvananthapuram, Jun 4 (UNI) Kerala Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan today said the State will witness more public-private partnership(PPP)initiatives in the tourism sector, after laying the foundation stone for a State-of-the-art International Convention Centre Complex (ICCC) here.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Achuthanandan said his Government would initiative steps to give a new boost to the tourism sector.

The ICCC, which would come at Akkulum near here, would be an integrated venue for conferencing, convention and other facilities.

The Convention Centre, to be constructed jointly with private sector, would be on Build-Own-Operate-Transfer (BOOT) basis and the State Government would have 26 per cent stake.

The total cost for the project was Rs 805 crore. The first phase, which was expected to be completed in two years, would cost Rs 205 crore. In the first phase, the project would have a 41,720 sqft convention centre, banquet hall with a seating capacity of 1,110, eleven small meeting halls with a seating capacity between 30 and 75 and VIP rooms.

There would be a five star hotel with 249 rooms and 25 poolside luxurious cottages, marina, jetties and water sports facilities, besides a parking space of 71 sqft.

In the second phase, the convention centre would be expanded to an additional 32,300 sqft. It would also have 100 service apartments, fifteen remaining villas, 150,000 sqft retail place, 575,000 sqft commercial offices and vast parking area of 190,000 sqft. Raheja Group would be the partner in the project.

UNI PN RL AS1913