Upcoming 5 Star Hotel of Abhinav Bindra in Dehradun
With tourism as mainstay of the Uttarakhand economy, decks have been cleared for setting up of the first five star hotel in the state capital, Dehradun. In fact, the state government has given clearance for the construction of two five-stars.
While one of the hotels would be constructed by the family of Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra at their farmhouse, the other would come up in Garhi area of the city. There was no five-star in Dehradun and the nearest one is in Barlowganj, Mussoorie, owned by the Jaypee Group. Since, Dehradun became the capital of Uttarakhand after the formation of the separate state in November 2000, there was a need for a five star hotel in the capital.
The one in Garhi would be constructed on build operate transfer (BOT) basis by Emaar MGF, a private company that has tied up with the Inter Continental Group of Hotels, Singapore. The hotel would come up near the government hotel management institute in Garhi area.
The state government had given clearance to the proposal moved by Abhinav Bindra’s father to convert their farmhouse in Mokhampur into a five star hotel. A.S. Bindra had submitted a proposal for setting up a hotel to the Khanduri government before the Beijing Olympics. However, after Abhinav won the gold medal, the state government showed a keen interest in the project and virtually arranged for no objection certificates (NOC) from various government departments.
Bindra Senior had promised to gift his son the hotel on striking gold in the Beijing Olympics 2008. “The hotel would be constructed over nine acres at Bindra Farms on the Haridwar Road,” confirmed Swarn Singh, who is looking after the Bindras’ businesses in Dehradun. Abhinav was also born and brought up in Dehradun and schooled in the city.
“We have been conveyed that legal work for the clearance of the hotel is almost complete and now we have to submit building plan of the hotel to the Mussoorie Dehradun Development Authority,” Singh said.
Authority vice-chairman R. Meenakshi Sundram confirmed the development. “Once we receive the building plan and after the requisite scrutiny it will be sanctioned without any delay,” she said.
On January 14, Uttarakhand tourism secretary Rakesh Sharma had convened a meeting with Bindra and officials of the various departments, including revenue, Mussoorie Dehradun Development Authority (MDDA) and district magistrate Amit Singh Negi to discuss the project. During the meeting, Sharma directed officials of different departments to speed up the NOC process.
The state government has also cleared obstacles in path of establishment of the other hotel by changing the land use pattern. “We hope that with the coming up of these two hotels, tourism in Uttarakhand — particularly Dehradun — would get a boost,” said Uttarakhand tourism minister Prakash Pant.
Source : http://www.tribuneindia.com/2009/20090214/real.htm#2