PANAJI: The state government has finalised the firm for the construction of a mega convention centre at Dona Paula, the cost of which is estimated to be over Rs 800 crore. A senior officer said the letter of award will be given next week to the DCS-Vascon consortium, which has emerged as the highest bidder.
“A long pending dream of having an international convention centre at Dona Paula will finally be achieved. The foundation stone for the convention centre will be laid shortly,” chief minister Pramod Sawant said.
The convention centre will be constructed on public private partnership (PPP) mode and revenue sharing model.
On January 14, the PPP cell of the state government held a virtual pre-bid meeting with companies and answered their queries related to the project. Though the government had received an overwhelming response at the pre-bid meeting with 15 firms evincing interest in the project, only two companies had shown interest to take up the project.
Over the five years, after outlining plans to construct the 5,000-seating capacity convention centre, the state government had in December floated a tender inviting firms to set up the facility.
In the first phase, along with the convention centre, a multiplex and a five-star hotel have been proposed at Dona Paula in an area of around 97,000 sqm. Earlier, the project was proposed in 2.9 lakh sqm land, which was earmarked for setting up the Rajiv Gandhi IT Habitat.
The first phase of the project will cost around Rs 800 crore, and depending on further expansion plans, the cost will increase and it will be borne by the bidder.
Early this year, the state cabinet approved the re-engagement of Knight Frank (India) Private Ltd as the project consultant.
Initially conceptualised in 2015, the project went through a lengthy bureaucratic process and was shunted between departments before landing with the PPP cell. In 2018, when the Economic Development Corporation (EDC) was responsible for the project, 25 firms had shown interest.
These included ITC, Inorbit, Strong Australia, Dempo Group, HKS-US, Essel, Hiranandani Group, Chowrangee Group, L&T, Amanora, Zee and Feedback Infra.
EDC’s proposal, estimated at Rs 1,400 crore and had also included an indoor film shooting shed, office of the Entertainment Society of Goa, Iffi office, and the smart city centre of excellence.
