GUWAHATI: The Assam Tourism Department Corporation has confirmed that the management and development rights of Dighalipukhuri, a historic lake in Guwahati, have been handed over to a private company through a “proper” and “transparent” tendering process.
Assam's Tourism Minister, Jayanta Malla Baruah, earlier last week denied that Dighalipukhuri was being leased to a private firm which was reportedly a ‘Gujarat-based private limited company.’
However, on Monday, July 3, he confirmed that the historic park was leased to a company, without giving the name of the organisation or the individual in question.
This decision sparked a debate among locals, heritage enthusiasts, and tourism stakeholders who questioned the motives and potential impact of such a decision.
Speaking to G Plus, Padmapani Bora, Managing Director of Assam Tourism Development Corporation (ATDC), said, "Assam Tourism Development Corporation has not been managing just Dighalipukhuri, but several other properties across Assam including Sivasagar, Tezpur, etc. In an effort towards the better management of Dighalipukhuri lake, we have handed the responsibility over to a different company. But they will be under our control.”
"Those parties who got the lease for the management of Dighalipukhuri earlier, did not pay their monthly revenue on time. We have sent them notices too, but they have disregarded it”, he added.
"To give this a professional touch, we have decided to lease the Dighalipukhuri property to parties that have at least one year of experience with such sites. They should also fulfil the expectations of being technically qualified. As Dighalipukhuri is a waterbody, tourists, and locals will be attracted to amusements related to water sports. Moreover, the same firm will be looking after a spot for canteens, and children's park. Thus, the firms who paid the highest bid got the contract. This was based on fulfilling the criteria stated by the Assam Tourism Development Corporation," he said.
The notice for tender was circulated in newspapers by the Directorate of Information and Public Relations (DIPR).
According to ATDC MD, there was a provision for pre-bid meetings for negotiations of any clause mentioned in the tender but no party availed. In 2021, ATDC got several complaints about the poor maintenance of the park from the locals and many suggested that the park should be managed professionally by someone. “In the guideline, it was mentioned that it is an open tender. It had no limitations that only Assam-based companies can take part. It was open to all”, he added.
"Earlier, two parties qualified for the tender. But there was a conflict between both parties regarding the verification of documents", the MD said. The senior official further explained maintaining safety measures for water sports activities saying, “So we wanted the company to also have the technical qualifications for the safety measures."
“When Brahmaputra carnival was held for two months, there were many water sports as well as adventure sports like Jet Ski, speed boating, paragliding, hang gliding, etc. For these activities, we brought experts from Rishikesh to look after the safety. No accidents were reported during the two-month-long event because it was managed by an ‘experienced’ party,” he said.
The Assam Tourism Development Corporation has confirmed that the company or party managing Dighalipukhuri will only receive contract renewals if their work meets expectations. Tariff control will also be maintained, and any price increases will require permission from ATDC.
In response to the controversy surrounding the alleged name change of the lake to "Entartica Dighalipukhuri," the original name has been reinstated. The cost of an entry ticket has been raised to ₹20, attributed to the introduction of various water sports activities at the park.
