The state government has cracked the whip on errant tourism project promoters. Under the public-private-partnership mode, these projects failed to utilise huge tracts of government lands allotted for various projects in the state. Lands provided for two tourism projects have already been revoked and there are two more projects due for cancellation.
The tourism department terminated the MoU with Secunderabad Golf Course and Resorts Pvt Ltd and took over possession of 130 acre of prime land earmarked for the Rs 75-crore golf course project at Jawaharnagar in Shamirpet mandal of Ranga Reddy district. The government, which had cancelled the Rs 100 crore Urban Entertain-ment Centre Project at the erstwhile Gandhi Medical College in Basheerbagh, Hyderabad, is now fighting a legal battle to vacate the stay obtained by the promoters.
Sources in the tourism department told this newspaper that two more tourism projects in the PPP mode are also being cancelled as promoters have not been able to complete the project on schedule, nor have they utilised the government land. “We have terminated the agreement with the promoters of the golf course at Shamirpet and Urban Entertainment Centre at Basheerbagh for the considerable delay in execution of the projects, non-utilisation of government land as per the agreement and flouting of norms”, said Ms Chandana Khan, special chief secretary.