Tenders floated for engagement of Transaction Advisor
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Nov 18: A fresh exercise has been started for construction of hotel in historic Mubarak Mandi Heritage Complex with the inviting of tenders for engagement of Transaction Advisor by the Executive Engineer Public Works (R&B) Division-II Jammu on behalf of Mubarak Mandi Jammu Heritage Society.
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A Short Notice Inviting Tender No.06-2024-25 dated November 7, 2024 read: “e-tenders are invited for engagement of eligible Transaction Advisor for Mubarak Mandi Heritage Hotel Project on Public Private Partnership mode from Transaction Advisory firms which are already approved and empanelled by the Department of Economic Affairs (DEA), Ministry of Finance, Government of India (vide F.No.2/3/2021-PPP dated July 1, 2022”.
In the name of the work column, request for proposal for engagement of DEA empanelled Transaction Advisor for providing end-to-end transaction advisory services for Adaptive Reuse of Heritage Property including proposed Heritage Hotel on PPP mode of Mubarak Mandi Heritage Complex Jammu on Design, Build, Finance, Operate and Transfer (DBFOT) basis has been mentioned.
The period of downloading of bidding documents was from November 7 to November 15, 2024 and date of opening of technical bids was November 16, 2024. However, keeping in view poor response within the stipulated time-frame, the Mubarak Mandi Jammu Heritage Society has extended the date of tenders till November 30, 2024.
From the contents of the tenders, it can be easily understood that Mubarak Mandi Jammu Heritage Society having office at Royal Dogra Palaces, Panjtirthi Jammu has started fresh exercise for construction of hotel in the historic complex.
Similar exercise was also initiated in June-July 2021 but what happened thereafter has not been made public by the Mubarak Mandi Jammu Heritage Society.
As per the sources, decision to convert portion of historic Mubarak Mandi complex into Heritage Hotel was taken by the Governing Body of the Mubarak Mandi Jammu Heritage Society several years back but thereafter no further steps were taken.
However, in the year 2021 the Government held detailed discussion on this aspect and the Society was given nod to start an exercise in this direction. Accordingly, the Society had invited Expression of Interest (EoI) for development of Heritage Hotel in one portion of the mammoth complex on the ground that this is the only way to make the adaptive reuse of the complex as mentioned in the Master Plan and generate sufficient revenue for the proper maintenance of whole complex in future.
“For conversion into Heritage Hotel, the Heritage Society has identified residential palaces situated in the eastern part of heritage complex called Zanana Mahal having unique architecture and exquisite interior decorations in the form of wall paintings, mirror work, decorative ceilings and exceptional spatial qualities”, sources said.
It is pertinent to mention here that Zanana Mahal Complex spread over 9419.35 square meters consists of six buildings—Rani Bandrali Mahal, Mahal of Raja Amar Singh’s queens, Rani Guleri Mahal, Rani Charak Mahal, Mahal of Raja Ram Singh queens etc.
In the Expression of Interest floated in 2021, it was mentioned that this step will lead to creation of world class category/business class Heritage Hotel with allied facilities which would attract national/international users.
Further, in the Expression of Interest, it was stated that national/international chains engaged in hotels and hospitality industry having minimum of 20 years experience in development, operation and ownership of five star category hotels/heritage hotels can participate. Moreover, they must have minimum average turnover of Rs 35 crore per annum during last four years.
“The company should have an experience of project undertaking and restoring and during last 10 years should have completed at least 5 heritage properties/hotels in India having a minimum of 15 rooms each. The interested company should have experience of managing/operating at least 5 hotel properties in India out of which at least two should be the heritage properties”, the Heritage Society had mentioned in the Expression of Interest.
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