Extension for concessionaire as ropeway project revived

Panaji: Months after deciding to cancel the concession agreement with Royal Rides Pvt Ltd for the Panaji-Reis Magos passenger ropeway, Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC) withdrew the termination notice and gave it 180 days to obtain permissions and revive the project. The decision was taken at the GTDC board meeting held last week.
GTDC said termination of the concessionaire agreement would “give a bad name” to Goa, especially since PM Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the project in 2024.
“Due to delay in obtaining permissions/NOCs for the project, the termination notice was issued… The board noticed that the concessionaire has shown keen interest in the execution of the project. Hence, the concessionaire requested to engage in a collaborative resolution process and to revoke the termination notice,” said the minutes of the board meeting.
Though the GTDC board meeting minutes talk about a “collaborative resolution”, sources present at the meeting said that when the ropeway project was discussed at the GTDC meeting on Dec 5 or the Goa Tourism Board meeting on Jan 14, no mention was made about more time being given to the contractor.
“After terminating the concession agreement, the board decided to re-tender the development of the passenger ropeway project from Reis Magos to Campal,” said an official who was present at both meetings.
For the ropeway project, 8,000sqm at Reis Magos was taken on lease for 99 years from the comunidade of Nerul. Govt also allotted 5,200sqm of land belonging to the tourism department, near the swimming pool complex, at Campal, for the project.
GTDC has asked the concessionaire to pay the upfront concessionaire fees, lease rent for the land at Nerul, and pending fees towards the construction licence within 15 days, based on which the termination notice was withdrawn. It has also given the private contractor six months to complete the other compliances for the project.