Wayside amenities to be set up along Samruddhi Mahamarg expressway
MSRDC identifies 16 places, looking for a common bidder
3 min read
Apart from this, MSRDC is also willing to pool land for four other locations at the Igatpuri, Aurangabad stretches along Samruddhi Mahamarg. (Express File Photo) To provide a range of facilities to commuters, as many as 16 amenities have been proposed to be set up along the Samruddhi Mahamarg. The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) which is the nodal agency for construction and development of the 701-km Mumbai-Nagpur Samruddhi Mahamarg, has identified 16 places along the corridor.
As per the official, bidders who quote the highest upfront lease premium above the reserve price of Rs 274.173 crore for all wayside locations (cumulative) will be qualified. The last date of participation in the bidding process is July 25.
An official from MSRDC said that the objective was to have a common bidder for all 16 wayside amenities. He said that in case a particular wayside amenity was not doing well then, then the sole bidder or concessaire, can overcome losses by earning through other amenities.
As per MSRDC, it has reserved Rs 50 crore for development of each wayside amenity, apart from Rs 274.173 crore as the reserved price. Meaning, the bidder should have the financial capability of investing Rs 800 crore (Rs 50 x 16 locations), besides the reserve price payment.
An official said that since the concessaire will be investing over Rs 1,000 crore, the objective of having a sole bidder is to overcome losses. Moreover, as per the Indian Road Congress, wayside amenities have to be developed upto the required standards as mentioned.
Apart from this, MSRDC is also willing to pool land for four other locations at the Igatpuri, Aurangabad stretches along Samruddhi Mahamarg. The official said that since MSRDC does not have land at these locations, and so, land pooling has been mooted. The land required is a maximum 12 ha, of which a minimum 5 ha would be set aside to develop the wayside amenity as mandated.
As the land belongs mainly to farmers, the question was, how would they develop these amenities which require huge capital investment. The official explained that the land owner could be anyone including farmers. It has been provisioned that they can set up a joint venture with someone who has huge capital assets to develop wayside amenities at other four locations respectively.
For both, the concessionaire period is 60 years. In land pooling requirements, the land owner should transfer ownership to MSRDC, and for development of wayside amenities no fees would be levied, unlike for the 16 locations identified for setting up amenities. The said partner will develop, earn and maintain amenities for the said period, explained the official.
FUTURE PLANS
MSRDC has now decided that, henceforth, it will develop wayside amenities while constructing highways like the proposed Pune Ring Road. This way, it can hire a contractor to operate these ready made wayside amenities in exchange of fees.
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