SHILLONG, Sep 1: Meghalaya Government is all set to sign a deal with Maxim Infrastructure & Real Estate Pvt. Ltd. for the five-star hotel at Jail Road which has been delayed for years.
Urban Affairs Minister, Sniawbhalang Dhar on Wednesday told reporters that the agreement has been cleared by the department and the Cabinet is likely to sign the agreement with the new contractor by next week.
“Work on the project will start immediately after the agreement is signed,” he said.
Earlier this year, the state Cabinet had scrapped the previous agreement for the five-star Marriott Hotel project and had roped in Maxim Infrastructure & Real Estate Pvt. Ltd. for a 30-year deal.
The earlier party, HM Cements, defaulted on the loan payment after which the National Company Law Tribunal took over the project. Maxim was awarded the project following competitive bidding.
Asked if the government would set a fresh deadline for completion of the project, Dhar said the matter rests with the concerned contractor. “It is their gain if they complete the project soon and their loss if they delay. Once the agreement is signed, they will have to pay us rent,” Dhar said.
Under the project, the government would hand over 71,000 sq. ft. of land to the firm. It was learnt that the firm did not want to pay an outstanding due of Rs 2.5 crore of the first lessee to the state government. The latter did not agree to this but decided to provide some relaxation in the interest part and the timeframe to clear the due.
The conditions included an office of the Shillong Municipal Board (SMB) that the firm would build on 20,000 sq. ft. of land near the BSNL quarters.
The General Administration Department has handed over the land to the Urban Affairs Department for construction of the permanent office of the SMB.
The land is located at Bivar Road and near the National People’s Party office, which is under construction.
