The Maharashtra cabinet on Tuesday decided to allot land measuring up to 54.40 hectares’ in Vengurla, Sindhudurg to Indian Hotels Company Limited which runs the Taj Hotels. The Uddhav Thackeray-led Maharashtra government leased out the area to build a five-star tourism centre which is touted to have luxury rooms and cottages.
The land envisioned for the development of tourism has been pending for the last 25 years. It has been given at 90-years lease at a nominal rent for the construction of cottages. More than two decades ago, Sindhudurg was declared as a tourism district which gave birth to the proposal. After the resolution of allotting land to the Taj Group was taken in 1994, the land was acquired in stages till 1998 by the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC). The group has been pushing for the possession of the remaining land even though it had half of the land in possession for years.
The state cabinet on Tuesday decided to hand over the remaining part of the plot, which is a connecting track of land to other two plots handed over to the company. According to an official from the revenue department, “The plot is allotted at the nominal lease rent of ₹1 and a premium of 110 per cent of the existing ready reckoner rate will be applicable on it,” The official also stated that the plan was kept on hold for years for multiple reasons but has been pushed after the Shiv Sena government took the mantle to lead the state of Maharashtra. The state government in an intent to promote tourism and attract foreign customers have given this the required push.
The official further added that the part of the plot comes under CRZ-I and construction on it would not be permitted while the remaining part of the plot can have cottage-like structures.
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