By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: The Crowb-orough Hotel at Khyndailad, conceptualized way back in the 1980s, has faced another jolt. It is learnt that the hotel occupying 28,869 sq. ft. area leased out to a lessee Lessly Shylla – a coal trader from Jaintia Hills, on May 28, 2008 for 33 years – has not paid the lease rent for the last two quarters of 2011. Payment for the third quarter is due on September 15 next.
Confirming this to The Shillong Times, a well placed source from the Meghalaya Tourism Development Corporation Limited (MTDC) said that Shylla has not paid the lease rent and license fee for the last two quarters ending March and June, whereas the third quarter is due, shortly.
“We have sent him a reminder in this regard today (Monday) as we had done earlier,” said the source adding that the party has not yet replied to the earlier reminders, so far.
As per the lease agreement between MTDC and Shylla, the private developer was to complete the project within one year. But the party has defaulted, following which extension was given by the Board till November, 2010 and now extended upto November, 2011, on condition that dues towards lease rent were cleared.
The party was awarded the extension after the dues were cleared. The lessee has to pay lease rent and license fee for the entire lease term on quarterly basis to MTDC.
Another source from MTDC said that the hotel is 80% complete and that only the interior décor and exterior painting etc remains to be completed. “They can complete it if they do the work in full swing,” said the source when asked if Shylla can complete the work within November, 2011. It is learnt that the finishing work involves large order procurements from outside such as kitchen equipment, furniture and other accessories, as they are not available in the region.
The source said that the Board can liquidate the security amount of one year lease rental in case of termination of contract. Secondly, since it is a BOT (Built Operate Transfer) concept, whatever infrastructure has been constructed, that is, asset creation will become MTDC’s property.
The 104-room hotel will have 8 economy rooms, 58 standard rooms, 30 deluxe rooms, 5 suites, 100 seater coffee shop, 80 seater specialty (Indian / Multi-cuisine) restaurant, 50 seater bar, 35 seater lounge, disco, banquet hall, convention facilities with state of the art seating and projection facilities, smaller meeting and committee rooms, guest amenities like beauty parlor, health club with fully equipped gym, steam, sauna and massage facilities and car parking besides a shopping arcade with 56 shops.
Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services (IL&FS) is the consultant that prepared its Detail Project Report. An agreement with regard to management consultancy services for the hotel’s renovation and refurbishment and thereafter its management and operation by TK International Limited (TKIL) with which Shylla entered into a consortium agreement for 20 years. As per the Expression of Interest (EOI) floated by IL&FS then, eight parties expressed their interest out of which four were shortlisted. Shylla being the highest bidder and who also fulfilled the criteria of the Expression Of Interest (EOI) was awarded the tender.